A Boy and His Poof
by soulful-sin
Summary: With Crocker controlling Cosmo and Wanda, Timmy's left with Poof to try and save the day. Thankfully, he's got some unlikely allies...
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I don't know where I'm going with this. It depends on how great the reaction. I've been horrible at updating anything lately, usually preferring to do a hit and run with one-shots.

But I think, if I can get some decent reactions, I might reconsider and force myself to update on a certain day, the way I used to. That means you guys have to help. I'll set alarms for the day, but you have to show me you want me to continue. Otherwise, it'll just die.

A Boy and His Poof

Timmy groaned, eyelids fluttering. He felt like he'd been hit in the face with a deluge of volleyballs. His stomach cramped and a bright light shone in his face. Red spots appeared in his vision and it took a while for his eyes to adjust to the strange lightning. Once it had, he stared at his surroundings. A large watt bulb inside an overhanging lamp was next to him; it also overlooked two big clear glass balls attached to the chair he was currently sitting in. Golden ties captured his arms and legs and he saw thin green and pink strands out of the corner of his eye flowing into the balls. But that didn't make any sense. Cosmo and Wanda weren't even here.

Were they?

The room looked like a modified janitor's closet, though it was wider than normal. The door opened to his right and Crocker entered, grinning from ear to ear. Timmy glowered.

"I'm not going to tell you anything," he snapped. His gut clenched and he hissed, narrowing his eyes against the white light.

"You don't have to," Crocker said, grinning. "I've figured something out, Turner."

"That you're a deluded crackpot with too much time on his hands and no chance of ever finding faeries, ever?" Timmy retorted.

"No," Crocker said and glowered. "I've discovered your faeries appear whenever you're in danger." His glower transformed into a grin and chills ran down Timmy's back. He fidgeted, trying to figure out a way to escape without invoking Cosmo and Wanda. Sweat trickled down his neck and he tried to think fast, but thinking on his feet was never one of his specialties.

"They would, if they were real," Timmy said. "And isn't someone going to _hear_ you torturing me and come investigate?"

"No," Crocker said simply and flicked a switch behind the chair. Electricity coursed through Timmy's body and he screamed, vision turning red and then black for a few seconds. His hair smelled singed and he coughed, smelling smoke and not realizing he was the source. His eyes watered and his vision cleared after a long while. Crocker grinned at him.

"Call them."

"No!" Timmy said. His heart raced. _Cosmo and Wanda, don't come. Cosmo and Wanda, don't come!_

"One more time, then," Crocker said and flicked the switch again. Timmy screamed and saw, in between the red and black flashes, three little fairy splashes. Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof had landed on a shelf as cleaning supplies. Poof began to whimper at Timmy's distress and Wanda raised her wand to silence him. Timmy could feel Poof's concerned gaze on him, and watched his godparents shiver. He didn't know what the contraption was, but it couldn't be anything good.

"Now, we spin this dial, and..." He removed a golden dial from his pocket and Poof appeared, in his normal form, in front of him. Crocker's eyes glazed over, greed replacing his sinister motives.

"A child...a child..." he breathed. Wanda appeared too, not as a faerie, but as a giant baseball bat. She clobbered him in the head with it repeatedly and Crocker spun the dial again. The pink strand connected to Timmy thickened and Wanda went from being a bat to her normal guise again, trapped within the glass ball. Poof backed up, shaking his rattle and creating a barrier in front of himself and Timmy.

"I didn't plan for this, but..." Crocker grinned and adjusted the knob. Cosmo vanished from the shelf and into the glass ball. Poof whimpered again.

"C'mon, Poof," Timmy said. The gig was up. There was no point in pretending these creatures weren't in the very least known by name. Poof glanced at his brother, his parents, and shook his rattle so hard Timmy was almost surprised it didn't break. A large cloud filled the room and Timmy coughed, eyes watering again. His stomach dropped and they were suddenly gone, from the janitor's closet, the school, and probably from Earth as they knew it.

They reappeared in a cave, water dripping nearby, and Poof lowered his rattle. He looked uncertain, lip quivering, and stared at his brother. Timmy could feel a wail coming on.

"Where are we?" Timmy asked, still smelling like he'd been set on fire and unable to stop shuddering. "Poof, where did you-"

Poof disappeared and reappeared instantly, bursting into tears. Timmy hugged him and rocked him back and forth, but apparently, his smell upset him, because Poof wrinkled his nose. Timmy groaned.

"We're cut off from Cosmo and Wanda. In the middle of nowhere. With my only hope of getting home an infant faerie whose powers could either get us blown up...or do nothing at all," he said. "This should be interesting." He groaned again.

"What else could go wrong? And oh yeah, my faerie godparents are currently in possession of my increasingly crazy teacher, Mr. Crocker."

Poof wailed harder.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I updated a few days early! Yay! I can't update Mission Improbable yet, because I haven't finished writing the update. XD

Yes, the rating went up. No, what I just realized I implied at the end of the first scene isn't what it looks like. I swear Cosmo is overprotective and Crocker isn't doing anything other than leering.

Yes, I'm reusing a concept- telepathy in true loves. Cosmo and Wanda have it, except they can't use it at the moment.

One last thing. I haven't seen pretty much the ENTIRE seventh season. I kid you not. I haven't seen most of season six, either. Any errors with Poof are because I haven't filled in gaps yet.

Chapter Two

Crocker grinned at Cosmo and Wanda, trapped in their strange magic repelling balls. They reacted like butterfly nets, and Wanda's insides seized up. She thought she might be sick, but throwing up here meant being stuck with it for however long she lasted. Cosmo sensed her distress and tried to calm her, but the balls rejected his response. Her eyes widened as the seconds ticked by and he remained, lording over them.

"Hmm," Crocker said. "I've been observing you for months, as you know. And I've deduced that though you have equal amounts of magic, this one-" he pointed to Wanda "- is far superior to that one." He pointed at Cosmo.

"You- you know," Wanda smiled weakly, trembling, "you could just let us go and we'll be gl-glad to see what-what we can do for you."

"Tempting, but no," he said. "I don't believe you."

He knelt down and produced a golden cage with a forcefield around it. Wanda and Cosmo squeaked and Cosmo began to whimper. It looked eerily familiar, like something Jorgen might have used centuries ago to capture the anti faeries. It suppressed magic too, but he'd outlawed it because it also siphoned it off and jolted the faerie every time the faerie used a spell. Wanda's lips quivered. Cosmo probably didn't recognize it, so his reaction was instinctual, as opposed to remembering school long ago.

He opened up another box, right beside the first, and it held the second golden cage. Not only were they to be held hostage, they weren't allowed to be near each other? Wanda's heart lurched. She looked at Cosmo, green eyes wide. He stared back at her and she wished she could reassure him, but she couldn't bring herself to speak, let alone try magic.

"I don't expect you to tell me where Fairy World is," he said. "Or take me to it."

He cackled. "But I do expect you to make me ruler of the world!"

This seemed eerily familiar. Cosmo had no clue, of course, but it rang distant bells. At least, it did until Crocker added, "And I'll raise a legion of half human, half faerie children to conquer it."

The bottom dropped out of Wanda's stomach. Cosmo had to open his mouth and say, "You do know in our species, the males carry the babies?"

Crocker stared at him. "No, they don't. That's impossible."

"It's true," Cosmo said and Wanda wanted to kick him.

Crocker flicked a switch on the cage's side and sucked Wanda inside. Wanda screamed and Cosmo whimpered in sympathy. He lifted the cage up so they were eye to eye and her heart was in her throat. Wanda couldn't conceive. That was how Poof had, more or less, come into existence. A child had to be wished for. Oh, Poof, she hoped he was okay. Her heart lurched again.

"Not in my universe," he grinned. Despite the terror enveloping her, she kicked out at the bars. Something akin to being struck by lightning whipped through her body and rendered her completely immobile. Black flashed in front of her eyes and every muscle in her body locked up. She couldn't even manage a pained cry.

"What do you say, little faerie?"

"Get your hands off my wife!" Cosmo screeched.

Wanda couldn't speak. She thought she might choke on her vomit.

**

* * *

**

Timmy started wandering the cave, since he had nothing better to do. Poof had quieted from loud wails to soft whimpers, and Timmy rubbed his back. It seemed the right thing to do, even though they were completely lost and had no idea how to get back. Or what might await them. He swallowed back panic, because it wouldn't help now, and stared up at the ceiling. Stalactites dripped and stalagmites kept jabbing into him.

"Okay, Poof, take us back," Timmy said. Poof stared at him, shook his rattle, and magic sparks fell down.

"Poof," he said, "C'mon. You can do it. I know you can."

Poof's eyes widened and he shook his rattle harder, but nothing happened. Timmy's panic was starting to rise again.

"I know you're not used to transporting us back and forth across big distances, but you have to do this," he said. The panic had entered his voice and was having a pointed effect on Poof. Poof looked away, lower lip quivering, and Timmy grimaced. He'd have to be gentler, because not only was Poof his ticket home, but he'd feel bad if he made him cry...again. Not to mention Cosmo and Wanda would probably be upset if he didn't treat their son right.

"We'll get back to Cosmo and Wanda, find Crocker, and we'll be a big happy family again," he said, with confidence he not only didn't feel, but was completely sure had bypassed him entirely. He offered Poof a watery smile and Poof shook his rattle hard enough to break anything, were anything inside. It was as useless as a real baby rattle.

"Okay..." he said. "Plan B."

The water dripped around him and he saw a big lake nearby. He had a discordant thought that if Poof cried enough, maybe his tears could fill the lake. Grimacing, he cried out, "Cosmo! Wanda! Jorgen! Anybody! HELP!"

The water continued to drip. Poof shook his rattle so hard it shot out of his hand and slammed into a stalagmite. In Timmy's arms, Poof's weight increased, like he was becoming more real and less faerie. His little crown disappeared and his wings fluttered and lost their magical sheen. Before, Poof weighed next to nothing. Now, he was at least twenty pounds of pure baby, and growing a bit too much for an eleven year old to cart around.

"Oh, crud," Timmy said. It seemed the only apt thing to say right now. Well, he could think of something worse, but Wanda and his mother had always made him wash his mouth out when he cursed. Plus, there was Poof to consider in terms of picking up new vocabulary.

"Timmy?" Poof ventured and Timmy looked down at him. The baby faerie pointed at the ceiling and Timmy jumped back in time to avoid rocks crashing on their heads. He scrambled back, behind a stalagmite, and panted, Poof hugging his chest. Timmy hugged him back and looked up through the gaping hole in the ceiling. It confused him further.

"Okay...who the heck painted the sky green and black?"

Poof whimpered, and, to Timmy, it sounded like, "Scared..."

"We're not on Earth anymore, are we?" Timmy said. No one answered him. _"Sir Point Out the Obvious a Lot- you're not dead!"_

Poof shook his head and Timmy gently put him down to fetch his rattle. It wasn't useful any more, but it made Timmy feel marginally better for Poof to have it, just in case he stopped seeming more real and went back to his normal nature. He dashed for it and peered up at the sky. Poof, unable to float, crawled next to him and peered up through the hole. The air smelled faintly leaden and he wrinkled his nose. Poof tugged on his pant leg and Timmy scooped him up in his arms.

"We're not on Earth anymore, and we're not in Fairy World, right?" He didn't know why he was asking. Cosmo would have a better answer for him than Poof. Timmy's shoulders sank. Cosmo. Poof seemed to sense his distress and sniffled, touching Timmy's cheek with his little hand.

"And we're not in Retroville," Timmy said. "Or Yugopotamia. Well, I'm out of options."

He heard soft padding and turned, hoping it was a friendly face. He clutched Poof to his chest and ignored the weight; his god brother was warm, at least, and smelled like baby powder. Poof cocked his head toward the sound and then seized up, grasping at Timmy's shirt and jerking.

"Okay…what the…" Timmy stopped. The footsteps must have been muffled by the water dripping. Poking its head out of a cavern nearby, a huge red scaled dragon stared at them and then huffed, little smoke plumes rising from its nostrils. One mystery explained- magic had couldn't affect dragons, at least not faerie magic. Poof must have sensed it somehow.

"Uh…run?" he suggested.

"Mama! Dada!" Poof protested.

"I know you want them, but they're not here now," Timmy said. The dragon poked its head further and Timmy could see its head could easily have taken up most of his living room. His heart beat triple time in his chest.

"Timmy…" Poof warned, just as the dragon released a fire ball. Timmy jumped out of the way and it singed his shirt. Panting, he held Poof above the ground to prevent his brother from scuffing himself. Timmy's eyes widened to saucers.

"RUN!"


	3. Family Ties

Author's Note: I'm glad you guys like this idea so much. :D I hope you continue to read and review.

Chapter Three: Family Ties

They found themselves in an underground lair, deep beneath the school. From the golden spheres, Crocker had transplanted them into large, glowing orbs with transparent sides. Cosmo laid, apparently stunned, in a ball on the other side of the room. Wanda heard his labored breathing and winced, unable to verify what had happened but fearing the worst. She sent a tentative mental probe, uncertain whether these creations repelled magick like the others did.

((Cosmo? Are you okay?))

((My head feels all fuzzy,)) he replied. He forced himself to his feet and Wanda did the same. The orbs were aquamarine and with Cosmo's color coordination, it obfuscated much about his personage. She discerned his tousled hair, his striking eyes, and his body, but nothing terribly distinct. The ball also clouded their surroundings, making it hard for Wanda to judge distances and exact locations. To the touch, the ball was downright frigid, prompting her to yank back her hand for fear of frostbite. The ground beneath her feet felt solid, though it was such a strange sensation to be standing in her faerie form she reeled. They didn't speak for a moment, merely stared at each other, and Wanda's heart pounded. She sensed Cosmo's heart doing the same. The connection to him was real and solid, reassuring after what had happened so far.

Barring the strange events before Poof's birth with Cosmo's derisive remarks (Mama Cosma's fault, but a long and complicated story she didn't feel like going into), Wanda had always felt whole with Cosmo. Cosmo was her second half, the other aspect of her soul, and she knew she could face anything as long as he stood with her. They could feel each other's emotions through their link, and hear each other's thoughts. Of course, they couldn't lie to each other mind to mind, but they could have awkward pauses. Those pauses didn't happen very often. Right now, Cosmo was too petrified to send anything but fear.

((Do you think Poof and Timmy are okay?))

Cosmo didn't reply. He jerked his head and Wanda saw Crocker's outline. The ball rendered everything else indistinct, and her throat clenched. Having Cosmo in close physical proximity would have done a great deal to soothe her rattled nerves.

"You said female faeries can't have children," Crocker said, suddenly right in front of her. Her heart lurched. She hadn't heard him approach. Then again, from her vantage point, she couldn't see a door, either. She swallowed back blind panic- there was enough in her through Cosmo.

"It's not any of your business," Wanda said.

"If I'm going to raise my evil empire of half humans, half faeries, it is," he informed her. He tapped his foot. "I want to know the real reason you can't have children."

"You can't have children if they can't be born," Wanda said. It made sense, but she was dodging the question and she sensed Crocker knew it.

"Every time you lie, little faerie, the ball siphons off magic," he said. "Then it feeds it back to you in the form of a mild electrocution." She couldn't see it, but she sensed his eyes glittering with malice. "I'd recommend you told the truth."

"You're an evil man," she said. "And I won't tell you anything."

This wasn't a lie and, as such, nothing happened. A few minutes passed and Crocker paused, realizing the design flaw. Wanda could insult him or maintain silence all she wanted, and as long as she kept silent, nothing would happen. He huffed and stomped off, leaving Cosmo and Wanda alone again. Wanda's heart was in her throat.

((Doesn't seem he's planned this out very well, has he?))

((I just hope he doesn't ask _me_...))

((I do too...you'd tell him everything.))

((You know I'm not the real reason Fairy World can't have babies.))

((I know that, and let's keep him from knowing it.))

Crocker reappeared, cutting their conversation short, and Wanda distinguished a long metal rod in his hands. Again, there was a gap between seeing him and him suddenly before her, and the rod shot out into the ball, piercing its sides and latching onto her arm. A steel needle buried itself in her arm and she gritted her teeth, trying not to scream. The rod's underbelly gripped the rest of her arm and held it in traction. Alien probes pried into her mind and she shuddered, flinching away from them.

((Wanda!)) Cosmo called and she heard it echoed aloud. She yelped and Cosmo said, "What? What's going on?"

"Interesting...very interesting... I think we'll try this again. What's the real reason female faeries can't carry babies, despite looking and acting like female humans?"

"It's none of your concern," Wanda said haughtily. She trembled and the rod sent corresponding shock waves throughout her body. Red lights flashed before her eyes and she buckled, toppling to her knees.

"Did I say a mild electrocution? I meant mild like a tazer is mild," he said and laughed hysterically. A tear slipped down her cheek and Cosmo groped for her again.

((Wanda! Wanda, what's going on? I can't see anything!))

"So you two can talk mind to mind," Crocker said. Cosmo and Wanda froze. "And it hurts him to see you in pain. Maybe if you don't talk, _he _will."

"Cosmo won't tell you anything more than I will," she lied and another shock coursed through her body. Her head hit the ball's sides and she fell backward, landing and curling into a ball. Her vision hadn't returned and she felt incredibly weak and powerless. She panted, arms wrapped around her knees. Cosmo might have screamed; she couldn't hear him. Her ears rang and her mind felt scraped raw, too raw to receive his telepathy.

Minutes passed. Wanda lost track of time. It took a while for the shocks to wear off, and she kept shaking, tasting blood in the back of her mouth. The metal rod yanked her out of the ball and she landed on the floor in front of Crocker. The world had grey and black, but no colors yet, and she weakly lifted her head. The rod swung her up to Crocker's level and he leered at her. Her vision blurred and she tried to see Cosmo, but moving dizzied her.

"Let's see," Crocker said. "Why don't we start from 'I wish you were my faerie consort', and go from there?"

((Cosmo, what did you tell him?))

"Oh, that won't work anymore," Crocker said. "Now that you're outside the ball, it'll reject your messages. And since you're going to be _my _faerie consort, you should only answer to _me_. I'm sure there must be a way to break the bond between you. That'll be my next order of business, after taking over the world."

He cackled and Wanda choked. Losing her bond to Cosmo? Even with all the verbal and physical abuse Cosmo had subjected her to, there was the consolation of being connected to him. Faeries who lost their bonds with their true loves either by death or insanity went insane themselves and tended to die soon after. She thought she might be making a mistake speaking out, but she had to believe in fundamental decency.

"I know you're insane and demented," Wanda began. It shocked her to hear how breathy and pained she sounded. Distantly, like Cosmo was in another state, she felt him flinch.

"Your point being?"

"You can't break the bond between me and Cosmo," she said. "It wouldn't...we won't be _sane _without it."

"Hmm..." Crocker stroked his chin. "Unlimited power with two magical slaves at my disposal, neither of them competent enough to stop me. Nope, can't say I care."

"Insane faeries can be pretty unpredictable," she said. The last time she'd heard of a bond breaking, it'd been her father. Fairy World hadn't fared well after that. Thankfully, he'd found a stable power supply restoring his mental health...somewhat. He'd never be completely sane.

"I'll take my chances," he said. He grinned at her. "Broken spirited faeries unable to plot against me in their minds appeals to me. And since you are _Turner's _faeries, hurting you is like hurting him too."

He cackled and Wanda hung her head.

((I'm sorry, sweetie. It was worth a shot.)) She grimaced, realizing the message hadn't gone through. Crocker laughed and she desperately hoped Poof and Timmy were all right and mounting a rescue.  
**...**

It soon dawned on Timmy, after about ten minutes, that the dragon was toying with them. With one long stride, it reached them easily and sniffed, opening its mouth to eat them. Timmy screamed, diving on top of Poof to protect him. The dragon snorted, using its giant snout to push Timmy over. Poof stared up at the dragon and Timmy thrust his arms out in front of him. Sweat trickled down his back.

((You're a long way from home, kid.)) the dragon sent. Timmy and Poof jumped.

"You can talk?" Timmy said.

((Only mind to mind,)) the dragon said. He had a distinctly male voice and looked amused at Timmy's shock. ((Don't worry. I don't hurt children.))

Timmy had gone from thinking they were about to be eaten to, well, this. He glanced at Poof, who had started rambling in his own unique combination of baby talk and actual words. The dragon didn't seem to be following him, which wasn't surprising. Only Cosmo and Wanda seemed to know exactly what Poof was talking about.

((All right, young one, since you seem slightly older than this faerie infant, would you mind informing me why you have dropped into my lair out of nowhere and woke me up?))

"We didn't mean to!" Timmy said. "It was an accident."

Mental voice heavy with sarcasm, the dragon replied, ((I gathered that.))

Timmy proceeded, without taking a breath, to explain Crocker capturing Cosmo and Wanda, and then Poof transporting them here. The dragon inclined its head.

((Unfortunately for you, this doesn't concern me. Dragons and faeries do not get along. You are lucky to have met the one dragon that doesn't believe in eating faeries and adding a human as a side dish.))

Timmy shuddered. "Can't you send us home? Or do something?"

Poof whimpered and Timmy hugged him.

((I cannot. I cannot cross dimensions. You shall have to find someone who can. I can, however, set you on the right track.))

"You gotta be kidding me," Timmy groaned. "We don't have time for an epic quest! Cosmo and Wanda are in danger right now, and so's everything in Fairy World and on Earth!"

The dragon chuckled. ((The young ones are always so impatient. Did I mention there's a short cut?))

"Why didn't you say that earlier?" Timmy scoffed.

((It loops through past, present, and future. It is not advised unless you are in a hurry-))

"I am! I am!" Timmy said, jumping up and down. "In case you haven't noticed, Poof has so little magic he can't even float anymore!"

((Be careful, young one. Act in haste, repent in leisure.))

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just get on with it!" Timmy said. The dragon sighed and prodded one of the stalactites. It moved aside, revealing a swirling vortex. Poof looked uncertainly at Timmy and Timmy smiled at him. The vortex flashed all colors of the rainbow and the rest of the cave fell away, hidden before it.

"It's okay, Poof," Timmy reassured him. "We'll be fine. We'll get there before Crocker even took Cosmo and Wanda, and stop everything. You'll see."

Timmy grimaced and walked toward the vortex. Rippling winds started up and his heart rattled in his chest. _I hope I get there before Crocker does..._


	4. It's Cameo Time!

Author's Note: Lol, lol, Lorenzo. That is all.

Oh, and thanks for reviewing, faving, and adding! If I don't get to you, it's not because I don't appreciate your input. I just don't have anything to say!

Chapter Four: It's Cameo Time!

He withdrew a giant targeted gun, looking like a water gun except with a holding cell for herself and Cosmo. Yet again, she was drawn inside one of his weapons and she felt weary, sick of fighting. He hefted the gun over his shoulder and clicked the trigger. Magic ripped out of their bodies and they screamed, watching it coalesce in the air before them. It was a potential wish, shimmering green and pink. Wanda's chest was on fire and she realized, with an almost physical blow, she couldn't Feel Cosmo. It was like he'd been shoved out of her mind. In almost 10,000 years, she'd felt him beside her and now, though he was physically there, he wasn't _there_ in her head.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God..." she began to hyperventilate. Panic stricken, she swiveled around in the ball to stare at Cosmo. She couldn't hear him, mentally or aloud, but he trembled violently. His eyes met hers and he screamed her name soundlessly. Wanda screamed his back and pounded her fists against her new prison.

"I wish your Bond was broken!" Crocker said and laughed insanely. The magic dispersed, answering to his whim, and Wanda felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest. Lights flashed before her eyes and she gasped, lungs being squeezed by a giant fist. The same giant hand smashed her against the bubble's sides and threatened to suffocate her. She coughed up blood, sparkling blood swimming before her eyes, and screamed until her throat became raw and bloody. Then she continued to scream until she had no voice left and could only rasp.

It felt like someone had blasted away half her soul and left her a shell, unable to think or react, just capable of staring blankly and breathing. Her lips chapped and she clawed at the bubble. Nothing seemed familiar anymore and she was lost, adrift, shoved somewhere in the corner because she wasn't wanted. She forgot about Timmy and Poof. All she could focus on was how she'd been violated, pillaged until there was nothing left. It was such an intimate anguish too, like Crocker had raped her mind, spirit, and soul. Her eyelids fluttered and she panted, whimpering. It was almost like Cosmo was dead, because she couldn't feel him in any capacity, could only feel a huge gaping hole where he ought to be.

"Cosmo..." she whimpered.

"I wish I ruled the world and Wanda was my concubine!" he continued and pulled the trigger again. Wanda didn't have the voice necessary to scream. Instead, she gasped and collapsed on the bubble's floor. What was the point in fighting if she didn't have Cosmo?

Wanda appeared outside the bubble looking like a human, excepting the elfin pointed ears. Her outfit had changed, from its normal yellow t-shirt and black pants, to a pink frilly gown with bells and hoops. It extended out two feet in front and behind her, and hugged her chest until she felt light headed. The omnipresent crown on her head increased its weight and plopped atop her head like a tiara. The sleeves of her gown ended in ruffled wrist cuffs, and golden circlets wrapped around her wrists. On her feet were satin slippers, soft and comfortable, and by the far the only part of the outfit she liked. She felt like she'd been dropped into the 1860s.

Crocker laughed hysterically again, pulled the trigger, and magic ripped out of her body, passing through her chest in a heart shaped pink cloud to integrate with Cosmo's green swirls. She stared at her husband, still contained within the chamber, and felt nothing. She remembered him, but with no emotional attachment whatsoever. Gasping, she stepped back and saw her reaction mirrored in Cosmo's face.

"And I wish I ruled the world!" Crocker said and cackled. The magic dispersed, temporarily robbing her of sight, and she collapsed to her knees, with the dress fanning out around her. Crocker's cackles echoed in her mind.  
**

* * *

**

They appeared near an opulent manor, standing right in front of the gates. The manor itself gleamed, pure gold, and stretched on as far as the eye could see. The gates behind them were gold too, and Cosmo looked around him at the wide grassy expanse. There was no wildlife here, and nothing to detract his attention from Wanda, who was pale and washed out. Unlike her, he hadn't been numbed to the sight of his true love, and instead felt awkward and useless, rather like he had growing up and being tormented by the other faeries his age.

Crocker stepped around them to admire his palace and this left Cosmo to bring Wanda to her feet. He cupped her elbows and stood a foot back, so the dress didn't bowl him over. She turned around to stare at him and her expression was vacant, looking at him but not seeing him. He swallowed hard and smiled at her. She pressed her lips together in a brief fake smile back.

"Thank you, Cosmo," she said and pulled her arms out of his grasp. Cosmo's lip quivered.

"What?" she said. "What...oh..." She'd touched his bare cheek and suddenly, a chasm opened up between them. Cosmo experienced it as a hard blow to the stomach, complete with claws, and choked. Wanda moaned, backing away from him and immediately severing the connection. Both faeries reeled, struggling to catch their breaths, and felt like their souls had been cleaved in half. What was worse, in Cosmo's mind, was that though they were clearly together, they could never be more apart.

He hadn't noticed it, but he'd been changed into human form too. Instead of the gaudy gown Crocker had given Wanda, Cosmo had servant's garb on, his hair slicked back and looking like a butler. Wanda's gaze swept him and her lips trembled. Their eyes met and they had to look away, because it hurt too much to be reminded of what used to be there, and no longer was. Every gaze sent daggers into his heart and they whimpered in unison. Standing a couple feet away helped, but not enough.

"Come, Cosmo, Lorenzo," Crocker said. "We have work to do."

"Lorenzo?" Cosmo and Wanda chorused and turned around. Standing near the gate, his long brown hair tied in a plait behind his back, a human stepped away to regard them. His eyes were icy cerulean blue, the same shade as Timmy's, and he had a long, lean body moving rather like a snake along the paved path. The path, Cosmo noticed now, had little lamps posted at intervals and was about five feet wide. Lorenzo crossed it and folded his arms across his chest to glare at them.

"I must say," Lorenzo said and glared, "I loathe you with every cell in my body."

"I don't care, as long as you do your job," Crocker said and cackled.

"Useless faerie obsessed crackpot," Lorenzo grumbled. "Useless cameo bit."

"Yeah, yeah, get in here," Crocker said. "And put your hands where I can see them."

Lorenzo huffed and reluctantly removed his hands from his pockets. Cosmo walked alongside him, but, after the nasty vibes coming off him, he increased the distance by a foot. Lorenzo glowered at nothing in particular and Cosmo swiveled his head to stare at Wanda. Wanda stared straight ahead of her, but didn't appear to be looking at anything either, and her fists were balled. Crocker put his arm around her waist and Cosmo had a flicker of some emotion, perhaps jealousy, but it was gone as if whipped away by the wind.

The giant doors opened for them and Cosmo continued to walk forward with his head swiveled almost completely backward. Wanda looked upset, but he didn't know. He couldn't tell. He swallowed hard. He'd always been able to tell when Wanda was hurt, happy, and everything in between. At least, he'd always been able to tell before Mama Cosma had screwed with their Bond and muted the emotions. But it was nothing like this. Cosmo gulped back tears.

"Wanda..." he whimpered.

"Move along, servant," Crocker spat and shoved him. Lorenzo snorted, eyes narrowed. Wanda shook her head but did nothing.  
**

* * *

**

Timmy and Poof arrived in Dimmsdale, but it felt old, retro. Poof immediately became a puppy at Timmy's side and, feeling alone, Timmy scooped him up into his arms. Poof licked Timmy's arm and Timmy rubbed his head. They were on the street in front of his house, except the satellite had vanished and a large, aerial antennae received the television airwaves. Timmy gawked at it.

"What the heck is that thing?" he asked. Poof yipped.

Timmy rolled his eyes. "Duh, why am I asking a baby?"

Someone on a skateboard slammed into him and he crashed onto the ground. Poof tumbled out of his arms and nudged his head to try and get him up. A hand yanked him to his feet and Timmy's vision took a few seconds to adjust. Once it had, he gawked at the person in front of him. A chill went down his spine.

"Dad?" he said. A small boy, his age, smiled and nodded at him. He had his father's features, except not as developed, and he wore a helmet on his head. Timmy mentally sneered- at least _he_ hadn't been hurt when he plowed into his future son.

"That's my nickname, stranger," the boy said. "You can call me that if you want."

"Okay...this is going to sound like a really weird question, but what year is this?" Timmy said.

"No weirder than your purple puppy with the floating crown above his head," his father answered serenely. "And it's 1972, stranger."

"Um, I'm Timmy," Timmy said. "You might wanna remember that name, in case you ever have a son and can't think of another name."

"All right, Timmy," his father said. "Where'd you come from? I haven't seen you around before."

"Uh..." Timmy paused. "I came from...Brightsburg. That's right. And I'm not staying for very long."

"Do you want me to show you around town?" Dad asked. "I didn't mean to hit you with my skateboard. I'm not very good. I'm trying to beat Denzel Crocker in the skate off."

He paused. "You know, come to think of it, he has some weird colored things too."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Timmy said. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could _find_ Crocker, I mean, Denzel, would you?"

Dad paused, scratching his chin. Poof whined, jumping up against Timmy's foot and indicating the grass. Timmy groaned and nudged him over. Poof gave him an uncertain look and Timmy nodded encouragement. After doing his business, Poof toddled back over to Timmy and cleaned himself. Timmy guessed Cosmo and Wanda hadn't gotten around to letting Poof know when they were in animal forms, it was okay to make the world your bathroom.

"He might be at the skate park," Dad said. "That's where Rick is, too."

"Okay..." Timmy said. "Is it between Hartman Lane and Conrad Avenue?"

"Unless it's moved in the last day, yeah," his father answered. Timmy abruptly took off, Poof running to keep up with him.

"Okay, thanks, bye!" he called over his shoulder. His house was across town from the skate park, so it'd take him a good thirty minutes to get there on foot. Plus, he was the slowest person in his class, so add another twenty minutes and...why the heck was he running? He did still have one faerie, even if Cosmo and Wanda were MIA.

"I wish I were at the skate park!" Timmy announced and Poof shook his rattle in between his teeth.

"Poof, poof!"


	5. Fing

Author's Note: Stoned Cosmo and Wanda. OMFG, I love them. Oh, and…the rest of this chapter was pretty awesome too. I just loved stoned Cos and Wan the best.

This chapter is named in honor of one of my favorite Simpsons quotes, said by Otto after smoking pot.

"_They call 'em fingers, but I've never seen 'em 'fing'." _

Chapter Five: Fing

Crocker's first order of business was to make sure the bar was fully stocked with shrimp puffs. He left Wanda with Cosmo to tend to her, and Lorenzo to wish everyone dead. Lorenzo wandered off, not in the mood to listen to stupid faeries, and Cosmo forgot him once he was out of sight. Wanda's new room had a pink four poster bed, with pink fluffy pillows and sheets, and a giant dresser for her suitably enormous clothing. It was fairly large, rivaling Timmy's room in size, and aside from the bed, dresser, and little make up studio, it was devoid of furniture. Pillow heaps covered the rest of the room. Along the far wall was a room with a golden doorknob, probably leading to a bathroom, and Cosmo, having had his fill of being traumatized for one day, used it and then darted back into the room. Wanda's gaze was cool, reminding him of Big Daddy, and he shuddered.

A heavy silence fell between them and Cosmo fought rising panic. They never had heavy silences. When they were young, they had happy, blissful silences where no words needed to be said. Then they'd had contented silences, and exhausted ones. Right after Cosmo had inadvertently started to destroy their marriage thanks to his mother, they'd had pained silences. But never like this. It'd never felt like Wanda was a thousand miles away and he couldn't touch her, let alone speak with her.

She wasn't even looking at him. She was gazing at a silver mirror on the bed and Cosmo wasn't sure if she was scrying or looking at her reflection.

"Wanda," Cosmo said. "We should get out of here and find Timmy and Poof."

"Why?" she asked. "I don't feel any desire to leave Crocker."

Cosmo swallowed hard. Large concepts were often a struggle for his mind to grasp, but he'd comprehended perfectly well the kind of life Crocker had in mind for his beloved. Or, rather, formerly beloved. Okay, well, that one he'd leave alone. But he knew what he was talking about. He stepped forward and his knees buckled. Stupid, strange human body. He felt his ears and they were pointed. For some odd reason, this scared him more than anything else.

"We have to get out of here!" he pleaded and grabbed her wrists. White hot pain lanced through his body and he couldn't see, could barely breathe or move. His vision flickered, filling with red, and she huffed, wrenching her wrists away from him. His vision returned, back to normal, and he was on his rear staring at her on the bed. The look she gave him, of utter contempt and disregard, brought tears to his eyes.

"Don't touch me," she snapped. "Ever again."

Tears slipped down his cheeks. "Don't you feel anything toward me?"

Wanda paused, studying him. She wrapped her arms around her legs and sighed, her dress fanning out all over the bed. "I miss Timmy and Poof, but you...you're a huge gaping hole."

"Come with me and we'll find Timmy and Poof and fix this," he promised. Wanda didn't look at him now. She stared ahead of her. Cosmo's heart clenched and his lower lip quivered. More tears flooded his eyes and he was having problems seeing her through the watery curtain.

"I can't," she said. "I belong to Crocker now."

"You're mine!" he said and howled. Snot joined the tears and he was a sobbing green haired mess. "I still feel things for you! I still care about you! Why don't you care about me?"

Wanda squeezed the bed sheets and sighed.

"Crocker's going to...he's going to..." He had problems catching his breath, he was crying so hard. "Do you really want to have a baby with a man like that?"

Wanda didn't answer. She seemed to go inside herself and, unlike in the past, he couldn't follow. It sent chills down his spine. He couldn't touch her and so he stood, shaking like a leaf, while Wanda was utterly unaffected.  
**

* * *

**

Aside from the strange outfits and lingo, the skate park looked identical to Timmy's park. Poof had shifted into a bracelet on Timmy's arm and fidgeted, distressed to be away from his parents for so long. Timmy was just glad Poof was reasonably reliable. And it wasn't like Poof had done anything that could possibly get them exposed, like transporting right next to past Crocker, Cosmo, and Wanda. He laughed to himself. That was ridiculous. Poof had better aim than that, he...

Timmy stopped laughing. Five feet away from him were Crocker, Cosmo, and Wanda. Cosmo and Wanda were rings on the child's fingers, and Crocker raised his hand to speak with them. Poof's eyes widened and Timmy's heart lurched.

"Oh, no," he said. "There's no way you're going over there."

"Mama! Dada!" Poof said insistently.

"No, Poof, they're not your parents," he explained. "In about thirty years, they will be, but not right now."

Poof gave him a look of utter incomprehension and he elaborated.

"We're in the past right now," he said. "You haven't been born yet. Cosmo and Wanda aren't your parents because you don't exist."

Timmy wasn't sure Poof understood or not. In a few seconds, he had his answer. Poof tried to transport himself to his parents, regardless, and Timmy slapped his wrist to stop him. The combined sudden violence and impediment to being with his parents brought tears to Poof's eyes.

"Oh, no," Timmy said. "Don't cry. It's okay, don't-"

Poof screamed, wailing so loudly Timmy was surprised the whole city didn't hear him. Giant storm clouds appeared instantly and thunder boomed, bringing with it torrential downpours and lightning, along with hail and sleet. This was a truly monumental storm, and Timmy might have spent more time appreciating it if it weren't for the fact Poof was beside himself. The faerie had transformed back into his normal self and sobbed, shaking back and forth in his misery and conjuring up almost every weather condition imaginable. On the one hand, Timmy almost couldn't blame him. He'd lost his parents once today, had been denied them again, and now Timmy was hitting him. On the other...this was not the way he'd go about _not_ having Crocker notice him.

"Poof, calm down! Poof!" Timmy shouted, trying to make himself heard over the thunderclaps. "It's okay! We'll find Cosmo and Wanda and fix this! But you need to stop crying! _Poof_!"

"That's a strange storm," Crocker said from behind him. "It appeared almost like magic. What's that you're holding in your hands?"

Timmy screamed and Poof stopped crying. The storm broke and the sun reappeared. Cosmo and Wanda stared at Poof, and he beamed at them.

"Mama!" he proclaimed. "Dada!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Cosmo said, staring back at him. "Did we smoke too much this afternoon, Wanda?"

"Not enough to see _that_." Wanda answered.

"Okay..." Crocker said. "It looks like a faerie baby."

Timmy thought fast and said in a mystic voice- "I come from the future, a distant future where faerie babies are born and something terrible will happen if it isn't prevented."

"Faerie babies?" Crocker said. "Sounds like a good thing to save the future for. How can I help?"

Timmy paused. "Uh...you can not go insane and stalk me when you get older."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Crocker said.

"Why does this thing think we're its parents?" Wanda said. Poof had changed into a ring on Crocker's fingers and Cosmo and Wanda were gawking at him.

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you?" Timmy asked. In an undertone, he said, "C'mon, Poof."

"It's cool," Cosmo said. "We'll totally hang with you and this weird baby for a while. We love hanging with other faeries."

"And I can help you save the future," Crocker said. "Who are we saving it from?"

Timmy winced. "Uh...you."

"I'd never hurt faeries," Crocker said. He stared at Timmy strangely and Timmy stared back, lower lip curling. Poof cozied up to his parents and they indulged him by generating little hands to pat him. Poof sighed, perfectly content. Timmy had an irrational desire to rip the rings off Crocker's fingers and save his faeries before Crocker had a chance to harm them.

"Like, Crocker only makes good wishes," Wanda said. Timmy stared at her. She spoke strangely, with this glazed affected tone, and her eyes weren't fixated on anything in particular. Cosmo had the same reaction, and Crocker seemed to think this perfectly normal. Come to think of it, the last time they'd encountered past Cosmo and Wanda, from this era, they'd spoken like this, more or less.

"Can we talk?" Timmy said. "In some place more private?"

"I wish we were at my house," Crocker said and Cosmo and Wanda held up their wands. They were instantly in his room. The faeries changed back into their normal forms and Poof whined, ducking behind Timmy. Timmy wrinkled his nose.

"Dude, what's that smell?" he said. "It's really strong and sweet."

"It's the seventies," Crocker said, staring at him. "Everyone smokes."

"That's...not...cigarettes..." Timmy said, coughing. Poof coughed too.

"Of course not," Wanda said. "It's pot."

Poof didn't understand. Timmy, who had never smoked pot himself, but had heard of it from the older kids, gawked at the past versions of his godparents. Poof conjured up a tiny fan and blew the foul air away, much to Timmy's relief. His lungs burned and he ducked his head outside to grab some fresh air. Poof filled the room with a mountain breeze and Timmy relaxed. It was strange. Even the little exposure he'd had to it made him feel mellower.

"You guys do _drugs_?" Timmy said.

"It's the seventies," Cosmo said, staring at him.

"Everyone does drugs," Wanda said.

"But you guys are _godparents_," Timmy said. "You're supposed to be, you know...good examples."

"Oh, relax," Wanda scoffed.

"Yeah," Cosmo said. "You're harshing our mellow."

"You wanted to talk to me?" Crocker asked. Timmy gawked at Cosmo and Wanda, who looked completely content and at peace. So that was with the smell and their reactions before. They were completely stoned. Okay then. Poof looked confused too and Timmy patted him on the head.

"We're a long way from home," Timmy said.

"This air is like home," Cosmo said, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling. "I can totally see all the pieces of plaster in it."

"Look at the colors..." Wanda said, staring too.

"They're high right now, aren't they?" Timmy said.

"Yeah..." Crocker said. He grinned. "It's all right. Whatever makes them happy."


	6. Has Someone Gotten the Best Of You?

Author's Note: A few hours after the deadline to be exactly a week since I updated. I'm sorry, guys. I wound up working longer than I anticipated, and I was too tired to write after it until right before The Daily Show.

I hope you enjoy it, regardless.

Chapter Six: Has Someone Gotten the Best (Of You)?

Crocker was hopeless. Though he'd commanded her to be his consort, he only vaguely knew what the term meant. Under magical punishment, she'd had to show him exactly what he wanted, and now she was drained, unwilling to move. Crocker had left her soon after, Cosmo's words ringing in her head, and she turned on her side. He'd wished she could conceive. All her married life, and especially after she'd learned she was barren, she'd wanted to carry Cosmo's child. Her throat constricted. She was supposed to be bound to Crocker, but she was bitter and resentful.

Male faeries weren't designed to carry children. The only reason Cosmo had carried Poof was because she couldn't. Any other explanation was ludicrous. And now Poof was gone from her, and she couldn't feel anything for the faerie she'd been with for almost her entire life. Instead, she felt blankness in her heart where he ought to be. She wanted to cry, but couldn't feel the sorrow deeply enough to shed tears.

Someone knocked gently on the door and she curled into a ball. She reached for her wand and then remembered, like a stab through the heart, she didn't have it anymore. Crocker had their magic. The knock came again, more insistent, and she stared at the door. Her whole body ached and she realized she felt worse for not having her wand and her magic than she did for not feeling Cosmo beside her. The realization brought tears to the forefront. Her magic was more important to her right now than her husband.

"Wanda, let me in..." he pleaded and she blinked. Cosmo. There was no way Crocker would continue to let him wander around the manor unaccompanied. For the moment, however, she remained where she was.

"It's unlocked, you idiot," she said softly.

"Oh," he said and turned the doorknob. He entered and closed it behind him, standing with his back to it. He stared at her and she saw the compassion in his eyes, and how distraught he was at how badly she looked. She had no idea exactly her appearance, since she hadn't looked in a mirror after Crocker had finished, but she felt awful. And now she couldn't even tell through their Bond Cosmo's emotions. She shut her eyes rather than face the relationship wreckage.

"What did he do to you?" he asked and she sighed. He sat beside her on the bed and there was a wall between them. She rolled away from him and concentrated on fading away. A few seconds later, she sat up and stared at him. He was sobbing, beholding her and wiping his nose, which was running. A smile tugged at her lips. That was her Cosmo, a mess no matter what he did. Her Cosmo. He wasn't hers anymore, was he? Not without the Bond...

"Do you think Fairy World knows yet?" she said in a dull voice. Cosmo didn't answer her. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed her, a quick action she didn't have time to back away from. A shock, like electricity, ran through her body and her vision blacked out for a few seconds. She hissed, her body tingling for half a second before settling back down, and she squirmed away from him.

"I told you not to touch me," she snapped. Cosmo's lip quivered again and he sobbed, flinging himself at her. She rolled neatly away, leaving him to cry on the bed and her to sit on the floor. Then she glanced up at him. She ought to feel something for him. Pity. _Anything_. Cosmo crying had usually prompted her to cry too. She remembered it like from a past life.

"_Wanda_..." Cosmo wailed.

She pushed herself back on the bed and stared at him. She remembered the right words, the right actions, and had no compulsion to speak them. Cosmo flung his arms around her and it sent horrible cramps along her body. She tried to push him but was too weak, and so he clamped onto her. Her stomach convulsed and she gasped, whimpering in pain, while Cosmo held tight.

"Let go of me, you idiot!" she hissed. "It hurts- can't you tell?"

No, he couldn't. It hit them at the same time and he drew apart from her. His face was wet with tears and she thumbed them away though it hurt her to touch him. It made her sick to her stomach and she dropped her gaze.

"I still love you," he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"I don't know. I've spent my whole life loving you, Wanda. I can't stop just 'cuz Crocker broke our Bond."

Wanda smiled bitterly. "I wish I could say the same."

They sat in silence for a second and Cosmo kissed her forehead. She shuddered, feeling like someone had stabbed her in the gut. Withdrawing from him, she curled into a ball again.

"I love you, Wanda."

The words echoed in her memory, said countless times in countless places. _I love you, Cosmo. I love you, Cosmo_. And yet, they wouldn't come now. Sighing, she rubbed her stomach and stared at the bedspread.

"Crocker's gotten what he wanted the first time, but he only rules Dimmsdale right now," Wanda said. "He has time..."

"I don't wanna talk about Crocker," Cosmo said.

"Neither do I."

A heavy silence laid over them and Cosmo's hand trembled, fighting to touch her and knowing she'd be in agony if he did. He couldn't stand hurting her. She knew this even without their Bond.

"I love you," he repeated. She laughed humorlessly. The words were empty now.

* * *

"Are they going to stop being high and start helping?" Timmy said impatiently. At age ten, Crocker had an unusual assortment of things, none of which Timmy cared about at the moment. He glowered, tapping his foot, and Poof floated above his shoulder. Timmy sniffed- ugh, someone was going to have to change his diaper soon. Usually, that was Cosmo and Wanda's job, but Poof's real parents weren't around, so it looked like it fell to him.

"I wish you two were back to normal!" Crocker announced and the smoke fumes vanished. Timmy and Poof sighed in relief. Crocker, by contrast, seemed like nothing had been affected. Timmy stared at him.

"It's only them," he said. "I wasn't around when they lit up."

"Someone needs to be changed," Wanda said, frowning at Poof.

"That someone doesn't have to be us, does it?" Cosmo said, grimacing.

"I'll handle it. I just wish I had diapers," he said. Cosmo and Wanda stared at him and Timmy scowled. "Right. Not my godparents yet."

Crocker sniffed and winced. "I wish he had diapers."

"Thanks, dude," Timmy said and grabbed one out of the huge pile the past versions of his godparents had conjured up. It was a mountain, looming ahead of them, and Poof began to wail, the smell overpowering. Timmy gagged.

"Where's your bathroom?" he asked.

"Second door on the right," Crocker said. Timmy bolted out, holding Poof ahead of him like he was a bomb about to explode. Poof might have found it amusing if he weren't too busy crying. Almost tripping over himself, Timmy hastened to the task. Unlike Cosmo and Wanda, he wasn't very good at it, and ended up with a diaper to the face. He felt like crying too...and Poof laughed at him.

Groaning, Timmy cleaned himself up and did the same for Poof, who decided he wanted to play with his water pistol again and spray Timmy in the face.

"I'm glad you're so happy," Timmy grumbled. "We're still stuck in the past and Cosmo and Wanda are with Crocker. Who knows what he's doing with them."

Poof stopped laughing. His eyes watered and he pounded his little fists, crying anew. Timmy groaned, rocking him back and forth and making funny faces at his godbrother. He felt bad for making him cry, but he was frustrated. They were in enemy territory, and he wasn't looking forward to trying to get Crocker to agree to help him thwart his future self, assuming Crocker would believe him. The dragon had said they'd alternate through past, present, and future, which meant he might have another chance. But what would tromping through the future do? Unless they weren't going in order...

Thinking hurt his brain. He put the diaper on Poof and hugged him tightly. Poof nuzzled his cheek and Timmy sighed, wanting to cry himself. How was he going to defeat future Crocker with a baby? It was impossible. Unless...nah...he'd think about it later.

Cradling his godbrother, he entered the room and discovered past Wanda staring at him. Uncomfortable, he clasped Poof tighter and stepped back, Crocker's look mimicking Wanda and making Timmy nervous. He hated when Crocker looked at him like he was about to dissect him. There were hints of his future personality present, even if it had taken Timmy and two Cosmos screwing up his past to create the monster Timmy knew.

"What really brings you here?" Crocker asked.

"I told you, dude," Timmy said. "You did."

"You're not telling the whole story," Wanda accused.

"Unless that _is _the whole story," Cosmo said. "Short story."

Despite himself and the anxiety flooding through him, Timmy smiled at Cosmo. Then he turned to Wanda and scowled. "Do you always have to be so suspicious?"

"I don't like the idea of you blaming our godson when he's done nothing wrong," Wanda said. "Crocker's a sweet, compassionate boy."

"Yeah!" Cosmo said, more to be in the conversation than to add anything.

"Not in the future, he isn't," Timmy countered. "In the future, he's a fairy obsessed loon."

Wanda's tone turned icy. "I don't believe you."

"Poof, poof!" Poof asserted and conjured up a projector screen, along with a projector. Images of older Crocker menacing them played and the ten-year-old Crocker paled, stepping back in horror. Wanda and Cosmo stared at Poof, whose lower lip trembled, thinking about his parents.

"That can't be true, can it?" Crocker said.

"I don't think babies can lie," Cosmo said.

"But...how..." Crocker said. He was stunned. "I'd never want to hurt you two. I love you."

Timmy's stomach clenched and his skin went clammy. "Well, you did."

Crocker fell silent. He broke away from Timmy and the past versions gathered in a huddle. They dropped their voices to prevent eavesdropping and Timmy looked at Poof. The baby drifted away too, staring out the window. Timmy rubbed his palms together and joined Poof.

"I want proof," Crocker said and Timmy jerked away from the window.

"What do you mean you want proof? You spend your entire life trying to get proof of faeries!" Timmy countered.

"I want proof this is going to happen," Crocker said. "Or no deal."

"There wasn't even a deal, and what the heck? I can't do anything with just Poof!" Timmy said.

"No proof and I won't even consider it."

Timmy's lower lip curled and he looked at Cosmo and Wanda. "Can't you at least get them to help?"

"Depends," Crocker said and gazed at them for a few seconds. "Do you want to help?"

Wanda stared at him and Timmy winced, wishing she'd warm to him like she did in their future. She reminded him entirely too much of Big Daddy with that hawk like expression. It sent chills down his spine and Poof whimpered, grateful to be in Timmy's arms.

"Yes," she said, and, with her tone of voice, it sounded more like a threat than a promise.


	7. Darkness At Dawn

Author's Note: I think Devin's hints went over Cosmo's head. Another cameo, by the way. I think less people, if anyone, will recognize the faerie Cosmo's speaking to, especially since he isn't speaking the way he normally does.

Also, past Crocker is almost as huge a jerk as present Crocker.

One more thing- I'm not sure I can sit up for long periods of time at the moment, so there might not be an update for anything else today.

Chapter Seven: Darkness At Dawn

A man with pointed ears, dark violet hair a shade off black, and royal purple eyes arrived at the door. He was slim and held himself tightly, wearing black leather jeans and an orchid silk buttoned dress shirt. He wore black Italian shoes, polished with gold buckles. His skin was a warm, suffuse pink and standing near him automatically increased the temperature a few degrees. His eyes flicked to Wanda, curled up on the bed, and then to Cosmo, who stood, defiant, in front of him.

"Come with me," he said.

"No," Cosmo said. "I won't leave Wanda."

The man's lips twitched in a faint grimace. "Let me make this clearer. Come with me, or I will hurt you and then you will come with me."

"But..." Cosmo's lower lip quivered and he looked back at his side. The man seized his wrist, and Cosmo stared at him, expecting, after the threat, for him to wrench it out of its socket or similarly mistreat him. Instead, the man inclined his head at Wanda.

"You do her no favors lingering here," the man said. "And she will not thank you for it."

"I can't leave here!" Cosmo whimpered. "She's-"

The man clapped a hand over Cosmo's mouth. "I am well aware of the situation, as are all the other faeries in Dimmsdale."

Cosmo squeaked behind the man's hand and his lips twitched again, removing his hand from Cosmo's mouth. Cosmo's green eyes lit up in awe, pondering the pointed ears and the height. The man yanked Cosmo through the door and shut it behind him. Cosmo glanced back at him.

"I am not a man any more than you are," the man said. Cosmo opened his mouth to interject and the man overrode it. "What I am is of no significance to you. What is important is adhering to the rules."

"Hey, if you're a faerie, why are you Crocker's henchman?" Cosmo said. The man glared at him.

"Would you rather hear this lecture from Lorenzo or from me?" the man snapped. "I know not what Lorenzo is, but at least I'm one of you. And what did you think happened to all the faeries in Dimmsdale? I'm Crocker's creature as much as you are, and a bit less than Wanda."

"You're gonna have to slow down," Cosmo said. "I don't understand."

"Walk with me," the man said. "My name, for your purposes, is Devin."

"Okay, and what is it really?" Cosmo asked. They started down a long, grandiose hallway with many portraits and statues declaring Crocker's greatness. Beneath their feet, they trod on red carpeting and at eye level, there were numerous doors leading to places Cosmo was mildly curious about. Devin grabbed Cosmo's arm and kept him at his side. The man's jaw was straight and his eyes fixated ahead.

"Very amusing," he said and glanced at Cosmo.

"I'm asking you. What is it?" he said.

"It is of no importance to you my true name," he said. "And since I see I am dealing with an imbecile-"

"Idiot," Cosmo corrected.

"Yeah, that," Devin said, "I'll try to explain slower. When Crocker seized control of Dimmsdale..." he paused, to make sure Cosmo was following, and the green haired current human nodded, "all the faeries with godchildren were ripped away from them. Since Crocker only knows about you, Wanda, and...your son, what was his name?"

"Timmy?"

"Not your godson, your biological son," Devin said and grimaced. "Ah, never mind, it's not important."

"You mean Poof?" Cosmo said.

"Yes, him. Since Crocker only knows about the three of you, the rest of us were relegated to help while Crocker sets about ruling the world," Devin said. "He's set about rules, which I assume you wouldn't know since you were with Wanda at the time. These are rules we have to follow...or his consort will become his personal executioner."

"Wanda?" Cosmo said. "Wanda couldn't hurt a fly."

"Yesterday, you wouldn't have believed she'd even speak to Crocker, let alone fornicate with him," Devin said. Cosmo gave him a blank look.

"Have sex," he translated. Cosmo flinched and Devin pursed his lips.

"As I was saying," he said. "There are rules we have to follow. Foremost among them is, which I know will be especially difficult for you...you can't see Wanda, Cosmo."

"But, but-!" he protested.

"I know she's your wife," Devin said. "But if you bother her, it'll be a death sentence."

Cosmo's lower lip quivered again and he released his arm to touch his shoulder.

"You're going to have to chip in around here, too, and do chores," he said. "The normal, human way too, which I'm sure you've never done before."

"What's the point in that?" he whined. "What's the point in anything if I can't be with Wanda?"

Devin smiled. "I don't know if you'll get the hint, or whether you're capable of it at all, but you aren't permitted to be with Wanda when she's Crocker's consort."

"I heard you the first time," Cosmo griped.

"You may have heard, but you didn't understand," Devin said and shrugged. "We'll move on. Third rule- we aren't allowed to contact our godchildren. Since no one knows where Timmy and Poof went, I assume for you this poses no problem. I'm only mentioning it in case they do surface, in which case, you are ordered to bring them to Crocker post haste."

His eyes twinkled. "Of course, should you find the rules distasteful..."

"What?" Cosmo said.

"You were never taught any form of subtlety or reading behind the lines, were you?" Devin said. Cosmo shook his head.

"I'm giving this speech to the wrong faerie, aren't I?"

"Nothing going on in here!" Cosmo said cheerfully, and then the cheer vanished. "I don't know what I'm going to do without Wanda."

"Crocker's chores should keep you busy enough not to worry about it. In the event they don't, watch your back," he advised.

"I don't understand."

"I knew I picked the wrong faerie," he said. "But Wanda's been shattered from breaking the Bond." He shuddered. "I don't know how you retain your sanity."

"Who said I was sane?" Cosmo said.

"Your Bond breaking had a ripple effect all over Dimmsdale. All the faeries know about it. It also awakened latent abilities in some children who are not, shall we say, entirely human."

"Now you've lost me again."

"Never mind," he said. "That is neither here nor there. Let me show you to your new living quarters, and you can worry to your heart's content about whatsoever is plaguing your insignificant mind."

He sighed.

"You never told me whose godparent you are," Cosmo said.

"Isn't it obvious?" Devin smiled. "I'm Tootie's."  
**

* * *

**

Timmy rubbed his palms together and smiled weakly. "Well, then, let's go get some proof."

"We're doing this my way, or no way at all," Crocker said. "And if I discover you've been lying to us, just once, we'll abandon you in the time stream."

Wanda winced. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

Crocker glared. "He has a faerie. He can get home."

"The whole point of this is that when I get home, I have a home to get to!" Timmy said. "Because you're controlling the world and you stole my faeries!"

"Then why do you still have this one?" Crocker taunted.

"Duh, because Poof freaked out after you captured his parents and grabbed me by mistake," Timmy said.

"How do I know you didn't set this up to convince me to give up Cosmo and Wanda?" Crocker snapped. "How do I know you're not lying to me even now, that you didn't plan this with the baby?"

Timmy groaned. "He's a baby. Trust me, he has a hard enough time burping himself."

"You still could have set it up," Crocker accused.

"That's why you want to get proof, right? Not just throw us out onto the street?" Timmy countered. "Just wish us a magic scooter."

Crocker narrowed his eyes and glared at Poof. Poof whimpered, floating lower, and darted into his big brother's safe arms. Timmy hugged him tightly; he might be small, he might be hard to manage, but he was all he had. Not to mention his faerie relatives were more his family than his real parents were. His heart clenched. That was a horrible thought he'd like not to have again.

Crocker glared at him and he glared back. Wanda floated lower, closer to Timmy, and he stared at her. Cosmo followed on Timmy's other side.

"Maybe...maybe we should hold him," she said. "He looks like he could use a mother's touch."

"And Wanda's the closest thing to a mother around here," Cosmo agreed. Wanda held out her arms and Poof flew gladly into them. She cradled him and he hugged her back, resting against her chest. He looked up and stared at her hair, then began to yank on it. She cried out.

"No, no, bad baby!" she said.

"Oh, yeah," Crocker said, distractedly, "babies like long hair."

"What did you call him?" Wanda asked.

"Poof, these are your parents," Timmy said and Poof chipped, "Poof, poof!"

"He repeats his name so you won't forget it!" Cosmo said and Poof pecked Wanda on the cheek. Wanda blushed.

"Aw...he's cute," she said.

"Hello, my problem here," Crocker said. "We need to see what Turner's talking about."

"Jeez, even in the past you won't call me by my name," Timmy muttered.

"I wish I could see myself at my absolute worst," Crocker said and Timmy held up his hand.

"Wait, no, that's not a good-" Timmy started.

"Done!" Cosmo said.

"No, Cosmo!" Wanda protested.

"You know, for the first time I understand how you feel when I make incredibly stupid wishes," Timmy said.

"And I have no idea what you're talking about," Wanda replied.


	8. Baby Backup

Author's Note: This is probably the longest chapter I've written for this story. I had more to say than I thought.

The sad thing is that the scene that's meant to be serious ended up being lighter than the one following it. And I really need to watch The Secret Origins of Denzel Crocker again.

Please read and review, even if you've never done it before. I'd like to hear what you guys think.

Chapter Eight: Baby Back up

As far as conversations went, this was probably one of the most awkward she'd ever had, including when she'd had to explain the 'wands and the wings' to her godchildren. She shuffled, restless, and ignored the cold look she received from Crocker's manservant, Lorenzo, who was wearing a butler's outfit and looking positively murderous. Then again, from what Crocker had told her, this mood was common. It gave her the chills and she avoided looking at him and her estranged husband, who kept finding excuses to bring them extra things, like napkins, sugar, etc. At this rate, they had enough for a large feast.

They were eating breakfast outside at an iron table painted white (Crocker didn't seem to notice she was shaking or that Cosmo had accidentally touched the table and leaped away, yelping). It had been centuries since iron could affect faeries the way it used to, but old fears remained prominent. The last time she'd been near iron, it was because some idiotic villager had gone on a fairy hunt and started throwing it around to see if it burned anyone. Wanda rubbed her wrists, remembering how the cold impersonal metal had suddenly heated up and seared her skin. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked up to see Cosmo too rubbing his wrists and staring at her longingly. At his side, a male with piercing purple eyes and dark, almost black hair had his hand on Cosmo's elbow to keep him from walking over again. Even in a human form, the man's ears were still pointed.

In addition to the iron table she loathed, they sat astride iron chairs and Wanda flinched every time her bare skin touched it. Today, Crocker had ordered her to wear a pink gown with slits along the legs and a deep plunging neckline. The gown was rather dressy for everyday occasions- it was also form fitting and she had a difficult time moving in it, in addition to the stiletto heels he forced her into. Faeries didn't walk in heels. They didn't walk, period. He seemed to expect her to automatically adjust to suddenly being human and thrust into his role, because he'd been planning it his entire life. She wanted to hate him, but couldn't, thanks to the way he'd misused their powers. Cosmo whimpered and she looked up at him.

They sat outside the kitchen on a little balcony overlooking a vast stretch of land Wanda thought had probably belonged to Doug Dimmadome, since it was huge. Acres of acres of green bounded as far as the eye could see. The mansion Crocker had claimed could have fit Timmy's house ten times over, if not more, and the balcony had enough room for five tables. Iron railing prevented them from going over the edge, since this particular kitchen was on the fifth floor, and her heart pounded in her chest. Iron- _why_? Why hadn't he just wished the damn mansion surrounded by butterfly nets and be done with it?

Her mind was wandering, trying to provide her with other information than the current conversation. The floor beneath her feet was tiled and sparkled in the sun, high overhead. It didn't warm her- she was cold inside and on edge, out of sorts. She didn't know quite how to handle herself, even if Crocker had forced her to be his consort. That hadn't changed her overall personality, aside from losing her affection toward Cosmo.

Crocker laid his hand along her cheek and she flinched. Cosmo growled and the man holding his arm tugged him back toward the kitchen.

"Mine!" Cosmo snapped, muffled because the man had covered his mouth. He pleaded with her with his eyes and the man dragged Cosmo back inside. She thought she could hear the echoes of telepathy they'd lost when Crocker broke their Bond.

((Wanda!))

Her stomach cramped and she slumped over, onto the table. Its cold touch on her bare skin made her scream and she jumped up, reaching for her wand and then remembering she didn't have it. She trembled and hugged herself, rubbing her arms and glaring at Crocker.

"What is with you and _iron_?" she spat.

"You don't like it?" Crocker asked. "I thought it complemented the kitchen well."

"Iron," she swallowed hard, "used to be poisonous to us."

"Really?" he said. "I thought you were only afraid of butterfly nets."

Wanda hugged herself tighter. "We are. But iron could actually kill us."

Crocker pondered this and Wanda pondered Cosmo sending her a mental message, which shouldn't have been possible. The magic had severed the Bond. After all, she felt nothing toward Cosmo in terms of actual affection and anything she thought about him was with an outsider's point of view. She had watched with detached amusement as Cosmo had gone crazy about Crocker pawing her when they came into the kitchen this morning. He'd let his hand linger near her chest and Cosmo had almost killed himself trying to get to him.

"It doesn't now?" Crocker asked.

"No," Wanda answered. "We're immune."

"Returning to my previous point," he said, staring at her sidestepping the table and chairs without even brushing against them, "do we have to…do that again?"

Wanda's stomach slammed in on itself and she thought she might vomit. Crocker wore a white track suit with a pendant around his neck- magic, green and pink, swirled within it. Her hands slicked with sweat and she rubbed them against her dress.

"I don't know," she answered. She'd rather be bound up in iron and shoved into a butterfly net than endure it again.

"I thought, you know, some people only do it once and then they have a kid," Crocker said. Wanda suppressed an irritated sigh.

"Until yesterday, you didn't know how children were born," she pointed out. She sensed green eyes upon her and spun, but they were gone when she glanced at the kitchen.

"What if I used your power to make sure you _were _pregnant, and then bred an army of super half human, half faeries?" Crocker said. His eyes gleamed and Wanda backed up, into the iron railing. Clamping her teeth on a scream, she backed up against the wall.

"We could wait the natural way," she said and inhaled shakily. "It'd take about a month to tell."

"Or we could do it with magic!" he cheered. She pressed up against the wall and missed her wings. Her breath hitched in her chest and she hated the way Crocker looked at her, like she was a sex object. She was supposed to be his consort and loyal to him, or so she had told Cosmo, and she was…in a matter of speaking. She didn't particularly _want _to be his consort, as she'd imagine any sane woman would agree.

"It'd be better to wait a month," she said. "After all, uh, you don't want me to get baby back up."

Sweat beaded on her forehead. She hoped Crocker was completely ignorant of women, because if he weren't, he'd smell the lie a mile away.

"Baby back up?" Crocker asked. "What's that?"

"It's when a woman gets pregnant right after she's already carrying a baby," she lied. She had a sudden image of a woman pregnant and loaded, like a pinball machine and, despite the situation, she almost laughed. Then she had another image, of someone inserting a quarter into the pregnant woman machine, and getting a 'free play' with another baby ball. Now she really did laugh, helpless, and wishing she felt enough for Cosmo to yearn for his touch and to be near him. If the Bond was restored, the first thing she'd do was make sure Cosmo was within arms' reach every second of the day. Without the Bond, she felt so horribly alone and terrified, in a way she'd not been since she was a young girl, watching her father's Mafioso shake down innocent faeries.

"Oh," he said. "That can happen?"

_No, you twit. Women can't get pregnant again. We're not like cats, for God's sake. _

"Sure," she said. "It can definitely happen, and you wouldn't want me to get sick that way, would you?"

He stared at her and she counted the seconds mentally. She quickly added, "If I'm pregnant once, and you get me pregnant again, I'll have baby back up. It'll be one baby on top of another, and then I'll explode."

"You're serious?" he said and she nodded, praying he bought it. She didn't know if she was pregnant, because Crocker had only created a reality where it was possible for her to carry infants, not one where she _had_ to bear young. The green eyes were upon her again and she looked at the kitchen, where Cosmo was lingering with the swinging door held ajar. She held a finger to her lips to indicate he be quiet.

"Hmm," Crocker said. "What if I cloned the baby you had?"

"You could do that," she said. _There better not be a baby._

"I could clone it…and raise them all to be my minions!" Crocker said. He cackled and she shivered, sliding her back along the clay wall to stand beside Cosmo. Though they were within arms' reach, it didn't make her feel any better. He touched her hand and her stomach clenched.

"_I still love you, Wanda."_

"I'm going to be ruler of the world!" he said and tugged on the pendant. Magic she didn't know she still had wrenched out of her body with such force, she stumbled backward and Cosmo held her upright. His touch on her bare arms made her stomach clench harder than before and she thought she might be sick. Lips quivering, she pushed away from him and he held tighter, spots appearing before her vision. It felt like a knife had sliced into her chest and plunged deeper, toward her heart. She swallowed back another scream, because she didn't want Crocker to know Cosmo was here too. Instead, she determinedly pushed away from Cosmo and staggered to the loathsome iron chair.

"I don't need to ask permission…do I?" he grinned and she groaned, imaging a giant butterfly net over the palace.

((Wanda…))

She jerked her head and stared at the kitchen door, but Cosmo was gone now. She shook her head. Impossible- without the Bond, they wouldn't be able to read thoughts. Perhaps she ought to consider herself lucky Crocker hadn't transferred the Bond to him. She choked back bile again.

* * *

They arrived in a gloomy world reminding Timmy of a possible future where Vicky had ruled. Clouds overhung the horizon and Dimmsdale appeared deserted. Poof whimpered, clinging to his baby brother, and Timmy hugged him. Cosmo and Wanda's magic had transported them to the front entrance of a huge, imposing mansion and younger Crocker shivered, prompting his faeries to float nearer to him. Wrought iron gates blocked the mansion from the street and it was the faeries' turn to shudder.

"Iron…" past Wanda whispered.

"Why doesn't he just shove a giant butterfly net on the mansion?" past Cosmo snapped. Whatever ill effects their drugs had had on them seemed to be gone now.

"Shall we go in?" Timmy suggested.

"I'm in there," Crocker said and stared up. "I can feel it."

"Like I said," Timmy said, "Shall we?"

"There's a spooky vibe around this place," Cosmo said.

Wanda swallowed hard. "It's like death in there."

Poof whined and sunk low in his brother's arms. Timmy looked at Crocker, who straightened his back and his resolve. It was weird to see him without his ear on his spine and no hunch. He touched the doors, which flung open at the light brushing. Startled, he turned back to Timmy and Timmy was darkly amused to see his cockiness had gone out the window. However, he was not pleased to see past Cosmo and Wanda sink to the floor and press closer to their godson.

"What's the matter?" Timmy asked.

"It's soaking up our magic," Wanda moaned.

"Can you change into something and shield yourselves?" Crocker whispered. Timmy looked around them. They were within a giant lobby, with shining candelabras overhanging the gigantic space. His entire school could probably have fit inside the lobby, and ahead of them were two spiraling staircases heading straight up. The tiles gleamed, brilliant black that hurt Timmy's eyes after the electricity above, and he had the impression it was supposed to. Squinting, he could see two doors at the far ends of the room to the left and right and the red velvet on the staircase. His hair stood on end.

"We could…" Wanda said.

"I don't like this place, Wanda…" Cosmo whimpered. "I wanna go home, Denzel."

Footsteps echoed in the lobby and the two faeries vanished, transforming into wristbands on Crocker's wrists. Poof turned into an earring in Timmy's left ear and he had to admit, though it was a weird disguise, it was kinda cool. Crocker and Timmy exchanged a look and hastened to hide beneath the staircase. It was a long walk and they just barely made it behind the stairs in time. They peered out.

"What was that?" an older Crocker demanded, holding a bundle in his arms. It fidgeted and he pressed it to his chest.

His godmother, now in human form and looking extremely fatigued, nonetheless held out her arms. She wore a simple yellow sundress and flats, like she had dressed in a hurry. "No one. Can I _please _have my baby?"

"No," Crocker spat. "She's mine! My first minion for my army!" He paused. "Those bright green eyes are going to change to brown right?"

"Bright green…" Timmy whispered. Beside him, the younger Crocker looked at his wristbands and Cosmo smiled at him. The Wanda wristband tensed, responding to her future self's distress.

"Please me have my baby," Wanda pleaded. "I did what you wanted, now let me have her. She's _mine_."

"I don't think so," Crocker said. "You don't want your mother, do you? Do you, Aurora?"

Aurora whimpered and reached out for Wanda. Timmy's heart ached and beside him, younger Crocker growled. Timmy smacked him to shut him up and past Wanda shifted into a tiny mouse, whiskers twitching. She stared at her older self and Cosmo shifted into a mouse beside her. Poof whimpered, fidgeting on Timmy's ear. Timmy sensed he was about to cry.

"You took away my magic," Wanda said. "You took away Cosmo. No one has seen my godson or my Poof for over a year. Just let me have her. _Please_."

"We've been gone for a year?" Timmy whispered to Poof. Poof didn't answer. Wanda's eyes filled with tears and his did too. Uh oh.

"I took away Cosmo?" younger Crocker croaked and Timmy smacked him over the head again to shut him up.

"She's _mine_," Crocker cackled and Wanda made one last, desperate grab for her daughter. Crocker squeezed the pendant, a strange translucent ball with a charm wrapped around it around his neck and flung Wanda fifty feet away from them. She caught herself before she crashed into anything and swayed, the effort to hold herself up more than she had estimated. Timmy, younger Crocker, Cosmo, and Wanda yelped and Poof burst into tears. Wanda sobbed and the baby in Crocker's arms screamed, setting off a magical cavalcade. A storm gathered in the lobby and past Wanda had to step on her husband's tail to keep him from rushing to her future self's aid. He stopped, stunned, as thunder boomed and lightning flashed in the lobby.

"What's going on?" Crocker asked.

Wanda struggled back, trying to reach her daughter again, and Crocker responded by channeling the lightning at her. Timmy, not thinking, blindly reacting, dove for her and knocked her over. He had no idea how he'd run so fast, but the crying earring on his ear had probably done something for that. Wanda stared, dazed, at him, and Poof had stopped crying. Meanwhile, the baby in Crocker's arms wailed and brought a sudden downpour on Crocker. The staircase was singed with lightning.

"Timmy?" Wanda said. "Poof?"

"Turner!" Crocker snarled. He advanced and Wanda hugged Timmy to her stomach. She forced herself to her feet and Crocker squeezed the pendant again, stilling the sobs and the storm. Wanda backed up, holding her arms protectively in front of her godson, and Timmy remembered what past Cosmo and Wanda had said about the mansion soaking up their magic.

"Attack Turner and his faeries!" he commanded the baby and squeezed the pendant. The baby shook a new, blue rattle and past Crocker, along with Cosmo and Wanda, burst out from hiding.

"You're a monster!" past Crocker screamed and his future self stopped, staring back at him. Past Crocker looked at him with his lower lip curled and his fists balled. Past Cosmo and Wanda, Timmy could see, were still mice. Meanwhile, his Wanda trembled against his back.

"Me?" future Crocker said stupidly.

"You'd hurt Cosmo and Wanda?" past Crocker snapped. "Cosmo and Wanda, who love you and would do anything for you? Cosmo and Wanda, who are the best things in your life? How could you even _think _of it?"

"I spent my entire life being mocked and laughed at for believing in faeries," his future self snapped. "I lost everything because no one believed me. And now, using them, I got it all back, and then punished everyone. You should be _thanking _me."

"What did you do to Cosmo?" Timmy growled.

"Kept him away from Wanda, of course," future Crocker said. "He's too dangerous around her. There was one night where I could have sworn…"

"Wanda," Timmy said in an undertone. "That baby's not Crocker's, is it?"

"She's Poof's little sister," she said and smiled weakly. "Completely his little sister."

"I thought only guys could-"

"I'll explain later," she whispered. "I'm so glad you and Poof are okay."

"I should be thanking you for hurting the two creatures that matter more to me than anyone else on Earth?" past Crocker growled. "I should be thanking you for making my godmother cry?"

"I don't remember them ever being my godparents," future Crocker said very coldly, "and even if they were, they abandoned me. You have no reason to be angry at me, and every reason to join me."

"You disgust me," past Crocker said and spat at his feet. He stared at him. "You betrayed them."

"Wow…" Timmy muttered. "Past Crocker really has a different point of view than the one we know and hate."

"Well, sport…" she frowned. "He might have actually loved us, once."

"You don't understand," future Crocker said and hefted the baby. Wanda growled, low and dangerous, and Poof hissed. The covers fell around the baby, thankfully clad in a diaper, and iridescent green eyes peered at them. There was no mistaking that shade. Her hair had little pink curls, with tiny flecks of purple. Anyone who couldn't see who her parents were had to be, like Crocker, deluding themselves.

"This is power. This will prove to the world and everyone who ever laughed at me, everyone who ever hurt me, that I was right," Crocker said. "My daughter and I will show the world. You'll see."

"No, I won't," his past self said. "Cosmo, Wanda, I wish we were back home!"

Timmy felt himself being ripped from Wanda's arms by their magic, and Crocker reached for his pendant to retrieve the power. In a last ditch effort, Wanda tore the broach from around her neck and threw it at Crocker's head. Startled, he dropped the medallion and Timmy found himself being sent along the time stream with Poof, younger Crocker, Cosmo, and Wanda. Poof screamed, reaching out for his mother, and Wanda hugged herself to keep from crying.

"I love you!" she called. "Be good! Think of a way to fix this!"

"Stop them, damn you!" future Crocker snarled and squeezed the medallion. Pink and green magic raced to meet the spell previously enacted and Timmy felt the push backward change momentum in the wrong direction.

"Uh oh."


	9. Skin and Bones

Author's Note: I thought there might be questions lingering from the last chapter, so I wrote this one while it was still in my mind. Yep.

Chapter Nine: Skin and Bones

They landed in a pile on the floor. Timmy gasped, the breath knocked out of his lungs, and felt himself dragged behind furniture. His eyes watered and small hands tugged him upright. Pink and green faerie dust swirled and Cosmo and Wanda shifted into lady bugs in front of their godson. Poof joined them and past Wanda rubbed his forehead affectionately. Poof chirped, pleased. Timmy, meanwhile, worked on regaining his breath and apparently not doing it too loudly, because past Crocker shushed him. Rolling his eyes, he focused on small breaths and completely missed the first couple sentences of the conversation before him.

"Mother, please," a surly teenager said. She sounded a little like Trixie and Timmy poked his head around the chair to investigate. They appeared to be in a parlor, and hidden behind a stuffed pink chair. Crocker's breath was warm on the back of his neck.

This faerie, for it was obvious she was a faerie, was in human form but with pointed elfin ears. Long emerald green hair cascaded down her front and she wore a silver jumpsuit, along with crossed swords on her back. Her pink eyes narrowed and she folded her arms across her sizeable chest. She was slight, like her father, and her gaze swept the room in a cold, callous manner that reminded Timmy of Crocker. However, aside from the attitude, she didn't resemble him at all.

"Aurora, all I'm asking is for a private dinner," Wanda said. Timmy jumped and looked up. His godmother twisted her head and for a split second, their eyes met. Her eyes widened and she smiled at them.

"And all I'm saying is that Father needs me far more than you do," Aurora said flippantly. "I need to train the troops and make sure there's order in Dimmsdale. As his _queen_, you should understand that."

"Woah," Timmy muttered. "What happened when we went through the time stream?"

"We got pushed forward instead of back," Cosmo said.

"So we're in the future," past Wanda said, and hesitated. "Further in the future. By my estimation, we're in the year 2025."

"Fifteen years?" Timmy hissed and Crocker hit him in the arm.

"Quiet," he hissed. "Do you want them to know we're here?"

"I don't see why not," Timmy hissed back. "It's only-"

Aurora fingered the blades at her back and jumped to her feet. Timmy fell silent and the younger faerie stalked forward, prompting Poof to whimper. Wanda jumped to her feet too, and her back was rigid.

"I heard voices, Mother," Aurora snapped.

"You heard nothing," Wanda retorted. "You don't need to be so jumpy around me."

"Yes, I do," Aurora said and her eyes narrowed. "Father doesn't trust you. That's why he won't let you use any magick."

"He won't let me use any magick because he stole it," Wanda said. "This isn't the place to discuss it."

"Afraid Father might overhear?" Aurora taunted. "I've heard he's gotten a lot crueler thanks to Lorenzo."

"No, I'm not afraid of Crocker," she shot back, but her tremble belied her statement. "Sweetie, your father isn't who you think he is."

"He told me you'd say that," Aurora snapped. "He told me you'd try to win me over and convince me to free you and…"

She paused for effect and spat at Wanda's feet. "_Cosmo_."

"Hey!" past Cosmo said. "What'd I do?"

Crocker paused, contemplative, and stroked his chin. "Isn't it obvious Cosmo's her father?"

"Not to her it isn't, I guess," Timmy replied.

"I don't know why you won't let Father just kill him," Aurora snapped. "We've wrung all the magick we can out of him, and he's gone completely insane since Father sundered the Bond permanently."

"Okay, now I'm lost," Timmy said. Wanda's eyes flicked to him again and this time, Aurora followed her mother's line of sight. She strode forward and Wanda stood in front of the chair to protect them. Aurora growled.

"I will knock you down, Mother, so get out of my way," she snapped.

"No," she said. Aurora growled and balled her fists. Hatred and cruelty blazed in her eyes. Her lower lip curled in disdain and she struck Wanda across the face. Stunned, Wanda stepped back and Aurora shoved her aside. Timmy's stomach dropped and Crocker glared back, surprisingly defiant.

"You're here to take my faeries, are you?" he snapped.

"You look exactly like Father…" Aurora said, frowning. Cosmo and Wanda shifted into curved scimitar blades in Crocker's hands and Poof shifted into a knife in Timmy's right hand. Timmy regained himself and scowled, assuming a battle stance. Crocker mirrored him.

"You're not taking our faeries without a fight!" Timmy said.

Aurora didn't answer. Her eyes lingered on younger Crocker and she whirled on her heel.

"If Father isn't watching, I must go tell him," she said and disappeared in a cloud of teal faerie dust. Timmy rubbed his eyes and Wanda fell to her knees to hug Timmy and Poof. Her eyes narrowed at younger Crocker, who smiled at her. Without a threat prominent, the younger versions of Cosmo and Wanda turned back into their normal selves and Poof floated near his real mother.

"Timmy, Poof, you're…" Wanda hesitated and held them at arms' length. Her face was worry lined and for once, she looked old instead of ageless. She wore a silver broach at her neck clamping into her skin and a sunflower yellow dress starting low on her chest with no straps and a bare back. It was cinched tightly around her waist and looked expensive, and was incredibly soft to the touch.

"You're the same age you were sixteen years ago," she said. "You've been removed from the time line…"

"What does that mean?" Timmy said, frowning.

"She means, I mean, I mean because future Denzel pushed us forward, we stopped existing in this world," past Wanda answered. "We're outside of time and it can't touch it, so we can't age."

"Faeries don't really age after they grow up, anyway," Cosmo said. "But humans do."

"We need to talk," Wanda said. "But, as I told my daughter-" her expression darkened- "this isn't the place."

"Your daughter's acting really weird," Timmy observed.

"Aurora's been brainwashed by Crocker," Wanda said, sighing. "She won't listen to me when I tell her anything contrary to his teachings, and she refuses pointblank to accept Cosmo is her father."

"I don't understand what's going on," past Crocker said and Wanda sighed.

"There's only one place in the whole mansion that isn't trigged with a listening device or security cameras," she said and shuddered. "It's not exactly my favorite place in the house, but if we want privacy before Aurora grabs Crocker, this is our only chance."

* * *

The most private place in the mansion turned out to be the royal bedchamber, with the largest furniture in the room being a bed with ample room for twelve, if not more. Younger Crocker, Cosmo, and Wanda immediately settled on it, with no qualms, and Timmy joined suit, holding Poof in his lap. Wanda hugged herself and rubbed her arms; Timmy noticed she had gone unusually pale.

"Well?" he said. "What are you waiting for? Sit down."

"I'd rather stand," she said. "The only reason this room isn't trapped is because I share it with Crocker."

The significance was lost on them. Past Cosmo and Wanda didn't understand the situation well enough to comprehend future Wanda's unease, and to them, their godson was sweet and caring, even if they had glimpsed otherwise. They couldn't comprehend a world where Wanda was subservient to Crocker in that way…and Timmy couldn't comprehend it either, since he didn't know about sex. They exchanged mystified looks and Wanda groaned.

"I knew I'd have to tell you some time or another," Wanda said. "I was kind of hoping it wouldn't be in the middle of a really big, important problem, but I guess I have no choice."

"Ooh, ooh, explain what?" past Cosmo said and future Wanda's lips twisted, her expression warming at him. Past Wanda glared.

"Back off, he's mine," past Wanda snapped. "You have your own."

"Ugh," Wanda said, grabbing a chair and dragged it over to the bed. Timmy noticed there was a makeup table near the wall and she'd dragged the chair from that rather than sit on the bed. "It looks like I'll have to explain the wands and the wings and Bonding before I explain anything else."

"Ooh, ooh!" Cosmo said, jumping up in excitement. "Can I do it?"

"You'd better not," future Wanda said. "Crocker monitors all magic and can trace it back to its original source. The only person in the house allowed to do magic is Aurora, and she-"

"Too late!" Cosmo announced and conjured up a male and female faerie puppet. Both Wandas slapped a palm to their foreheads.

"What's done is done," future Wanda said, groaning. "Can you at least give them the abridged version? I don't know how much time we have until Crocker bursts in here and drags everyone else off."

"My future self isn't going to hurt anyone, is he?" past Crocker said.

"Of course not," Cosmo said happily. "He'll just have a big friendly dinner with them and make them sleep with the fishes!"

"Cosmo, you idiot," Timmy said, "don't you even know what that means?"

"Uh, I dunno, but it sounded cold and wet," Cosmo said. Timmy, Crocker, and the two Wandas groaned.

"I wish the door was locked against my future self and anyone else who wants to come in!" Crocker said and the door opened at that moment. Lorenzo scowled at them; his blue eyes narrowed and he glared at Timmy. Wanda folded her arms across her chest and stood in front of her godson.

"Can we help you?" she asked.

"Since I know you don't want me to apprehend you and possibly ruin whatever little melodramatic story you had planned," Lorenzo said, rolling his eyes, "It might be best if you allowed me to linger under the pretense that I was 'overpowered'."

He scoffed. "As if such a thing could happen."

"Whatever, dude," Timmy said. Lorenzo's eyes alighted and Wanda growled.

"Back off, pal," she said. "Wrong story and he's still not yours."

Lorenzo scoffed and flopped onto the bed a couple feet away from them. "Be that as it may, might I suggest past Crocker amend his wish?"

"Who the heck is this guy?" Timmy said.

Wanda sighed. "He's a carryover from another world. He likes to hitchhike and jump universes. Crocker kept him around at first because he has an unnatural obsession with you. It turns out he does actually know things…it's too bad he's a complete psychopath."

Lorenzo filed his nails. "How utterly uninteresting. Shall we?"

"Uh…" Crocker and Timmy gaped at him.

"I wish the room was padlocked against everyone but us?" Crocker said.

"Was that a wish or a question?" Cosmo said.

"It was a wish!" future Wanda snapped and they quickly held up their wands to grant it. Silence reigned and Lorenzo rolled over onto his back to stare at the ceiling. He reminded Timmy of a very large cat…and then he smiled, and Timmy recoiled, suddenly thinking of a humungous savage beast that'd tear him apart with his bare hands. He squeaked and Wanda drew him and Poof into her lap.

"We'll start with the wands and the wings, then go from there," Wanda said. "And hope Crocker doesn't figure out the magic barricading the door is mine and Cosmo's from the past."

* * *

About thirty minutes later, Crocker and Timmy looked sick to their stomachs. They also avoided looking at anyone else, and fiddled with their hands in their pockets. Cosmo was gagged in the corner and the horrid puppets had been burned. Future Wanda knew better than to hope they were gone for good. Cosmo had an endless supply of them and if Timmy rewrote history so this never happened, he'd have to see them again. She just wished he'd never bought the anatomically correct male faerie doll with added tentacles…

"Now, about Bonds," future Wanda said. "When a fairy discovers his or her true love, they forge a Bond together. It's different from getting married- this is an emotional and magical Bond."

"It's not magical in the way sex is magical, is it?" Timmy said, gagging. "I think I've had all the magic sex I can get."

"You can get never enough magic sex!" Cosmo said behind the muffle and past Wanda flung a pillow at him.

"No, it's not the same," future Wanda said. "Bonds go deeper than that. Bonds link a faerie's emotions and thoughts together-"

"Even if it appears they don't have any!" Cosmo said and, reluctantly, past Wanda removed the gag. She gave him a stern look and he shrugged.

"Your souls are twinned together. When the other faerie is in pain, you feel it not just emotionally, but physically too. No matter how far away you are, if the other person is suffering, you'll know it. By the same token, if they're happy, you'll feel it too, part of your emotions but separate at the same time. It goes deeper than that too- the other faerie becomes a part of you, almost like an extension of yourself. Your magic becomes linked together and you become a team, no longer a separate entity but part of something bigger than yourself.

"Bonded faeries are linked by life force, too. If one of them dies, the other usually dies with them. To break a Bond is to drive the other faerie insane," future Wanda said and bit her lip. Tears glimmered in her eyes. "That's why Aurora said Cosmo's gone mad. Crocker broke our Bond once, when he first seized us, and then I managed to start recreating it…only to have Crocker shatter it again and Cosmo's sanity with it."

"What little I have…" Cosmo said, but he looked disturbed to hear of his future self's plight.

"But you're not insane," Timmy said. Future Wanda smiled humorlessly and stood up, gesturing them toward a door on the right wall.

"I used to have my own room," she said. "This is all that's left."

She opened the door and Timmy's mouth fell open. Wanda had ripped apart furniture, flung it into the walls, blooded the carpet, the floor, and what was left of the bed. Wood was embedded in the light fixture, along with shards of glass and paper scraps. Clothing hung in tatters on hangers, which had been mangled almost beyond recognition. She felt a pang looking at it, but from a distance, like it no longer affected her.

"I have black outs, where I don't know where I am or what I'm doing," she said quietly. "That's the other reason Crocker doesn't trust me. I came to once strangling a servant. To this day, I don't know how it happened."

"My future self drove you and Cosmo insane?" past Crocker said quietly. He'd gone pale and hugged himself.

"He wanted to raise an army of half human, half faerie people to take over the world," future Wanda murmured. "And when he realized I wasn't pregnant with his child…"

* * *

Cosmo broke into the room through sheer desperation. The other faeries had been warned to stay away, because Crocker had claimed Wanda for the night, but he couldn't. He'd heard her sobbing and lost his mind. On his half, he had the Bond, enough to know she was in agony, and he had to get to her. He splintered the door and slammed it against the wall, shocked for a moment he had the strength. Then again, he'd been cleaning and polishing for a few months, so maybe that accounted for it.

"Wanda?" he called. "Wanda!"

She was crumpled beneath the sheets and crying as if someone had broken her heart. Cosmo lay beside her and stroked her shoulders through the comforter. Startled, she turned her face toward him and it was red and swollen with tears. His gut clenched and he kissed her, forgetting she had warned him multiple times against touching him. The sick swooping sensation filled his stomach, coupled with his skin feeling like someone had dumped a brand on it, and he expected her to scream at him and pull away. She didn't- she grabbed him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Cosmo…" she whimpered, breaking off the kiss. He cradled her, trying to ignore the nausea and now currently the sensation of needles stabbing him all over his body. He rubbed her back, where he knew her wings ought to be, and realized she was naked. Fury seized him and she kissed him on the lips.

"No," she whispered, breaking apart from him again. "It's okay."

"It's not okay," he snapped. "You're crying."

"It's okay," she said and smiled very weakly. "You're here now."

"But it hurts us both when we touch," he protested. She kissed him on the lips again and was shocked to discover that the needles were receding a little.

"I don't care," she said. "I'd do anything to erase the feeling of his hands on me, anything at all."

* * *

"It was a pale imitation of the Bond we'd had before," future Wanda said. "True Bonding requires a mating flight, which, for obvious reasons, we couldn't enact. But it brought back an echo…"

Lorenzo scoffed. "Crocker was always suspicious. He knew he'd broken up a married couple who'd been together for millennia, and after he'd learned Cosmo had spent the night in Wanda's room, he locked him in the dungeon. He hasn't been seen since-"

He sneered. "But what's done is done."

"My future self…" past Crocker gaped. "I can't…no, I won't!"

"It's true, dude," Timmy said. "Wanda doesn't lie."

"She should consider herself lucky Crocker didn't wish himself an anti faerie named Loreto who reconstructed the universe and murdered all their children," Lorenzo muttered.

"Still wrong story," future Wanda muttered.

Past Crocker's eyes filled with tears and he hung his head. Stunned, his godparents didn't comfort him. Instead, they stared at the future Wanda, who was hugging Timmy and Poof very tightly to her. Timmy didn't object; Poof flew out of Timmy's arms and pressed himself into his mother's neck.

"Crocker knew Aurora would bond to me if I kept her, so he took her away as soon as he could. She's been in his custody almost ever since. Even when she's brought face to face with Cosmo, she won't believe he's her father. Crocker has her so convinced it's impossible."

"If we prevent Crocker from ever getting you guys," Timmy said, and, looking over at past Crocker, who was crying softly, "From ever getting you guys in my present, then will this go away?"

"It should…" future Wanda said. "But I can't see how you're even going to escape the mansion. Crocker's nearby now, trying to break down the magical barrier."

"We'll think of a way," Timmy said. "I can't bear to see you this upset."

"Poof poof," Poof asserted sadly.

"Me either," past Crocker said and lifted his head. Tears continued to streak his face. "I swear I'll do anything to keep this from happening. I don't know how my future self got so twisted, but I would never hurt you, especially not like that. I love you."

Future Wanda flinched and stroked Timmy's hair. "Whatever plan you come up with, you might have a lot of time to come up with it."

"Why do you say that?" Timmy said.

"Play time's over, kiddies!" Aurora snapped and kicked in the door.


	10. Sibling Rivalry

Author's Note: I don't really know how to make this any clearer than I've already done. Aurora is Cosmo's daughter, not Crocker's. Biologically Cosmo's daughter. Aurora only thinks Crocker is her father because (a) Cosmo's been insane since her birth and (b) Crocker brainwashed her.

Poor future Cosmo.

Chapter Ten: Sibling Rivalry

Past Cosmo and Wanda shifted into Dobermans and stood, protective, in front of their godson. Future Wanda's eyes narrowed and she posed in front of Timmy with Poof pressed against her chest. For a minute, future Crocker and Aurora stared at the gathered group. Wanda held her son tightly in one arm and her right hand rested on Timmy's shoulder. A shudder passed through her and Poof and Timmy looked up.

"Wanda?" he murmured.

"Mama?" Poof called.

"If you surrender to me now, Turner, I promise I'll..." Crocker stopped, staring at Poof. Poof stared back and his lower lip quivered. He bounced out of his mother's arms and floated in front of future Crocker.

"D.J.?" future Crocker.

"What?" Timmy, past and future Wanda, past Cosmo and Crocker echoed.

"Crocker," Poof said sadly. Future Crocker frowned and Aurora scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"I hate to break up the scene, but they're prisoners, Father," Aurora said with a bite in her tone. "We should be threatening them and allowing them one last chance to surrender before-"

"I always wanted a son," future Crocker said.

Aurora bit her lip and balled her fists. Magic flared around her palms and she squeezed her wand. Pushing her way into the room, she said, "Enough."

The venom had disappeared, however, and hurt shimmered in her eyes. She shifted gazes to Poof and pure hatred flashed. Curling her lower lip, she grabbed Poof by his wings and he screamed, swinging his rattle and flinging her twenty feet back. Disoriented and not expecting the attack, Aurora lay, dazed, on the floor. Poof huffed, spinning and wings fluttering. He raised his rattle and held it menacingly in front of him.

"Let me have D.J. and I'll let you go," future Crocker said. He cackled. "Into the dungeon."

"What about me?" past Crocker snapped, advancing. "Are you going to lock me up too?"

"Of course not," his future self said. "You'll be my apprentice."

"_I'm _your apprentice," Aurora said, rising to her feet. She growled and squeezed her wand. Pale green bands of pure power oscillated toward Poof and Poof conjured his nun chucks. He dispelled the magic and she created a cage for them. Poof slammed his hands together and shattered the cage bars, causing the entire structure to collapse. He trilled a battle cry and Aurora answered, looking like she'd like nothing more than to strangle her sibling.

"Now, now, don't be jealous," future Crocker said. "Aurora, this is your half brother."

"Full blooded brother," future Wanda said in so quiet a voice, Timmy thought only he heard her.

Crocker squeezed the amulet around his neck in his hands and growled, advancing on his concubine. Wanda held her ground, despite a fine tremor, and held her head high. He stopped a few inches away from her and glared. Wanda wrapped an arm around Timmy's waist and pressed him against her. She was proud and terrified. He had to admire her tenacity.

"Aurora isn't Cosmo's," Crocker snapped. "Because you belong to _me_."

"You can't order her around like that," past Crocker snapped and past Cosmo growled, snapping his jaw and then growing confused. He looked back at his godson and wife.

"Mixed signals," past Wanda muttered. "My future self is projecting, but I don't think she realizes it."

"Projecting?" Timmy murmured back.

"We'll explain later," she replied.

Crocker brought himself an inch closer and Poof slammed him on the head with his rattle. Regardless of whatever weirdness had transpired between himself and Crocker, he'd reacted to his mother's terror. Wanda's fingers dug into Timmy's shoulder and Poof whirled, dodging Aurora's blast. Aurora snarled, eyes blazing, and hair briefly turning to flame. Wanda's lips twitched.

"That's my little girl," she whispered.

"Let me tell you one thing, _Poof_," Aurora spat. "Or D.J. or whatever your name is. In this castle, I'm the only faerie with any power around here. Half faerie. Whatever. And you're just a baby. A little-"

Poof slammed into her and she bounced back a step, regained her footing, and conjured a butterfly net. It landed on him and his eyes watered, shaking his rattle. Timmy's heart clenched and past Cosmo and Wanda gasped, hesitantly approaching the net to remove their future son from it. Aurora growled, raising her wand, and they looked up at her. Future Crocker was KOed on the floor and past Crocker had disappeared from Timmy's point of view. Aurora's wand sparked and past Crocker tackled her around the waist.

"Get _off_, you little brat!" she shrieked, forgetting he was a younger form of her father figure. Past Cosmo and Wanda freed their son while their godson distracted Aurora, and Timmy launched himself at Aurora too. Now trying to throw off two little boys, she reached for her wand and Timmy grabbed it from her waist. Snarling, she clawed at his hand and he tossed it to the first person he could think of. Future Wanda caught it and its tip glowed.

Then she vanished, leaving pink faerie dust behind. Aurora stopped struggling and past Crocker and Timmy stuck to her legs.

"Wanda?" Timmy said.

"Mama?" Poof said, lower lip quivering.

"Mother?" Aurora said. "Where did she..." Her eyes widened. "Oh, no. Cosmo."

"What?" Timmy said. Aurora grimaced and grabbed Timmy by the scruff of his neck.

"Let's get one thing straight, twerp. I don't like you. Father has taught me to hate you, and so I do. But Father isn't conscious to give orders, thanks to my brat of a brother."

Poof ascended again and Aurora glared at him briefly before looking at past Crocker and Timmy. "But anything to do with you pales in comparison to the punishment for letting my mother see Cosmo again."

"Why?" past Wanda snapped. "What's the matter with me seeing Cosmo?"

Past Cosmo nuzzled her and she licked his face. He laughed and bowled her over, rubbing his head against her stomach. Aurora huffed, ignoring them, and looked at past Crocker and Timmy. Poof drifted over, standing by Timmy's right shoulder, and Timmy smiled, grateful for his presence.

"I don't know exactly," Aurora said. "Father would never tell me. I don't even know where Cosmo is. No one does. Father figured once Mother knew, she'd free him."

"Um," Timmy said. "Crocker isn't your dad, you know. You can stop calling him that."

"I don't take orders from you," Aurora sneered. She pressed a pressure point on Timmy's neck and his world dimmed. She scoffed.

* * *

Cosmo was in solitary confinement. His once beautiful, vibrant green hair was dull and lackluster, and his expressive eyes were vacant and empty. He sat on the floor and looked like a doll, complete with lack of emotions and expressions. Breaking the Bond the second time had left Wanda prone to psychotic rage and blackouts. It had left Cosmo catatonic.

Wanda stroked her husband's face and he didn't respond. Her lower lip quivering, she sent, ((Cosmo?))

Their telepathy was considerably weaker than it had been, and only through physically touching him could she transmit at all. It was like sending from a nearly destroyed transmitter, and it disappeared into a mental fog. Resting her forehead against his, she whispered his name. He didn't respond. Running her fingers through her hair instilled no response. She pushed her mental abilities further and found nothing.

Twirling the wand between her fingers, she weighed her options. The only way to bring Cosmo back from the brink was to re-enact the Bonding ritual, but Cosmo couldn't possibly participate. It required flight, and he'd have to be sane enough to chase her. Transforming them back into faeries wouldn't restore his livelihood. And no magic could spark his mind back to life after a Bond was shattered like that.

She kissed his lips and could have sworn his eyes slid to focus on her. Yet when she glanced at him, he was the same as ever. Perhaps she was hoping too much. Perhaps she'd just wanted this too badly to abandon it now. She trailed kisses down his cheek and onto his neck. She didn't feel the same passion she had experienced fifteen years ago, before Crocker had separated them, and had only dull echoes. Tears sprang to her eyes.

((Cosmo...)) she projected as hard as she could and he turned his head to look at her. The lights were on, but no one was home.

She rolled the wand between her fingers and smiled. She could punish Crocker for hurting them. Now she had magic again. It was borrowed magic, since it was linked into her daughter, but it was magic nonetheless. It'd been years since she'd felt this alive.

In the back of her mind, she worried about Timmy and Poof. But it was distant, compared to the rush in her ears and the anger trickling in at Cosmo's catatonia.

* * *

Poof jumped at her the instant she attacked his god brother and conjured up a butterfly net for her. Unlike Poof, Cosmo, and Wanda, who would have spooked, Aurora didn't. Instead, she glared through the netting at Poof and her lower lip curled.

"I hate you so much," she said.

"What do we do?" past Crocker said. "He, I...my future self isn't going to stay unconscious forever."

"We should get out of here while we can," past Cosmo said. "The place is pulling at our magic."

"Poof, poof!" Poof said and past Crocker looked at his godparents.

"I wish I could understand what he was saying," he said. They held up their wands.

"I can't leave Mama," Poof said.

"Technically...no, I don't want to think about it," past Crocker said. "It's too mind boggling."

"_This _Mama is my Mama," Poof insisted.

"Whatever we decide, we should do it soon," past Wanda said. "Before he wakes up."

"Right here, you know," Aurora snapped. "I can hear you."

Past Crocker picked Timmy up off the floor and slapped him across the face. Timmy didn't respond and Aurora scoffed.

"He won't wake for a couple hours," Aurora said. "You're wasting your time."

"If we leave now, we'll have to leave him behind," past Crocker said.

"No!" Poof said and settled on his brother. "I won't leave Timmy."

"If 'we'," past Crocker said, indicating himself, Cosmo, and Wanda, "go back into the past, can we fix this?"

"I don't know..." past Wanda said. "We don't know how your future self got warped in the first place."

"Yeah, for all we know, it was our fault," past Cosmo said nonchalantly.

"I think that was why Timmy and Poof came to us," past Wanda said.

"So what do we do now?" past Crocker said.

"Beats me," past Cosmo said.


	11. Dark Impressions

Author's Note: Oh hey there, guys. Long time no see, right? Thanks to everyone who's reading, even if you're not reviewing, and everyone who's faving.

Breaking the fourth wall here is fun to do, honestly. And since it's really hot and my attention span doesn't seem to want to hold, I'll probably go back to reading Sherlock Holmes after this. :3

Be sure to read and review, lovies!

Chapter Eleven: Dark Impressions

"I wish he were conscious," Crocker said, indicating Timmy, and Timmy sprang to his feet. He rubbed the back of his neck, where Aurora had snagged him. His eyes adjusted to being conscious again and he looked at the large net under which Aurora huddled, glaring at them.

Timmy blinked. "That was weird. I could have sworn Aurora had a sleeper grip on me."

"I did," Aurora snapped. They ignored her and she grimaced, kicking at the net and whimpering when it touched her. "Hate...butterfly...nets..."

"Where do we go from here?" Crocker said. "You obviously had a reason to come to the past."

"Dude, I came back to the past because the dragon sent us there," Timmy said.

Poof whimpered. "Mama..."

"You two can stay here and I can see if I can fix this with my Cosmo and Wanda," Crocker said.

"No way," Timmy said. "You can't help all on your own."

"I don't think Poof wants to leave his mother," past Wanda said sadly. "Look at him."

Poof's eyes watered and he swallowed hard, fighting tears. He stared at his rattle and at his god brother. "Timmy..."

"I'm not going to be able to fix things in the future," Timmy said and tears slipped down Poof's cheeks. He stared at the past versions of his parents and huddled closer to his brother. He wrapped his arms around Timmy's neck and rested his forehead against Timmy's right temple. One more word and Poof would start wailing.

"Then you have to come back with us," Crocker said.

"Poof, if we don't leave, this is what's going to happen," Timmy said. "Don't you want your parents back together and everything normal?"

"But...Mama hurts so much..." Poof protested.

"We're going to fix it," Timmy said. "But in order to do that, we have to leave her here."

"No," Poof said. "Mama and Dada need us."

"They need us to keep it from happening," Timmy said. Poof stamped his foot in mid air.

"Mama needs me here," Poof said.

Timmy gritted his teeth. "If we leave her here and fix this, we won't need to fix it later. She'll never be this miserable. Do you understand?"

"You're explaining a very complicated concept to an infant," past Wanda said. "I don't think he gets it, sport."

"You can't stay here!" Timmy snapped, losing his patience. "You're my ticket home! If I don't get home, I'll be stuck here forever too!"

Poof sobbed, causing a storm to gather and thunder to boom. Electricity crackled in the air and Timmy shivered. There was no way anyone looking out for magic hadn't sensed the abrupt storm.

Past Wanda shifted into her normal form and cradled Poof closely. "It's okay, honey. It's okay. Don't cry, Poof."

"Why is this future Wanda so much more important than my version?" Crocker asked. Poof calmed down enough to answer.

"Doesn't feel the same," he said and started crying again. Past Cosmo shifted into his normal form too and they cuddled their future son. Eventually, Poof calmed down and Timmy sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But I'm getting frustrated. The longer we stay here, the less magic we have. And Crocker already has too much magic."

A thunder clap sounded and everyone looked at Poof, who stared back at them. Lorenzo ran into the room and held a stitch in his side. Beside him, a man stood, purple-black hair sweeping down his back and tipped elfin ears. The two stood a couple feet apart and Lorenzo folded his arms across his chest. The other man huffed.

"The reinforcements are coming," the man said. "Whatever plan you had, you'd better implement it right now."

"You could always stay here," Lorenzo said, looking Timmy up and down. A chill went down his spine and he stepped back, closer to the others. Lorenzo looked lecherous, like he wanted to...Timmy shuddered again. He didn't have a hard time imagining the man's hands all over him.

"I wish we were back in my time!" past Crocker said.

"Wait, I didn't agree to that!" Timmy said. "Poof, I wish-!"

"Too late!" past Cosmo said and held up his wand. Wanda hissed.

"Cosmo, you idiot!"

Timmy thought he saw, for a fraction of a second, purple faerie dust...  
**

* * *

**

They landed in a pile on past Crocker's floor. Timmy wound up breaking everyone's fall, with Crocker, then past Cosmo and Wanda landing atop them. He crawled out from under and searched the room, but he thought he already knew the answer. His heart thudded painfully in his chest. He rubbed his palms along his pants.

"Where's Poof?" he said.

"He's not with us?" past Cosmo said.

"No, he's not!" Timmy said, fighting hysteria. The last time he'd lost Poof, he'd gone crazy looking for him. Cosmo and Wanda would kill him if he lost their son again. "Where is he?"

"Oh, no..." past Wanda's eyes widened. "He must have broken away from the wish at the last second."

"Then where is he?" Timmy said. Goosebumps had broken out along his body. He thought he already knew and it sickened him.

"He went after my future self..." past Wanda said.

"Then we gotta go back!" Timmy said. He fidgeted, the urgency consuming him.

"Hold on," past Crocker said. "They're not your godparents."

"No, but they will be," Timmy said. "And Poof's my little brother. We have to go back and save him."

Why couldn't they see they needed to go _now?_

"No!" Jorgen thundered and appeared in Crocker's room. "You cannot go back to the future, tiny Timmy Turner, until it has been made safe."

Timmy didn't know whether to be relieved or aggrieved his version of Jorgen had appeared in the past. It was clearly his Jorgen, because the '70s Jorgen had the weird outfit and 'afro. Timmy's heart constricted again. He danced on the spot, unable to stand still.

"You're just gonna leave Poof there?" Timmy said. "You saw what Crocker did to Wanda."

Past Wanda flinched and Cosmo hugged her. Crocker's eyes narrowed and he stood closer to his godparents.

"I'd never..." he murmured.

"I don't know, sweetie..." past Wanda murmured back.

"Yes," Jorgen admitted, ignoring the others and answering Timmy. "I did. But I have reason to believe Poof will be safe with Crocker."

"I don't think so," Timmy said. "And what about his sister?"

"Ah, yes, Aurora," Jorgen grimaced. "I had forgotten about her."

"You're going to leave a baby; a baby you said is more powerful than any other faerie in the universe except for you and Cosmo, in the hands of a crazed megalomaniac with an adopted daughter who wants him dead? Not to mention the fact his parents are insane!" Timmy exclaimed.

"I know all this," Jorgen said. "Poof will be fine for the moment."

"You're here just to make sure the future stays screwed up?" Timmy said.

"No," Jorgen said. "I am here to ensure you do not interfere with a certain other event that occurs in-" he consulted his wand, "-about two months."

"What event in two months?" Past Cosmo, Wanda, and Crocker echoed. They were ignored.

"I told you before I wouldn't," Timmy said. "And besides, shouldn't you be more concerned that the future has Crocker ruling the world and blocking it off from Fairy World?"

"I am very concerned," Jorgen said. "As I am about why The Other is in this universe."

"The Other?" Timmy, Crocker, Cosmo and Wanda echoed.

"Lorenzo," Jorgen said, waving his hand. "I will return Poof to the past and allow him to become part of the time line. That will fix some of the damage until you can prevent Crocker from seizing Cosmo and Wanda in the present."

"Uh, the story's called A Boy and His Poof," Timmy said. "How is it going to be us if Poof's not with me?"

"He will come back," Jorgen said. "Restoring him to the time line will allow him to be in two places at once."

"And what are we supposed to do while we're waiting?" Timmy said.

"As much as I hate to say this, tiny Timmy Turner, and I truly hate to say it..." Jorgen said, grimacing. "Past Crocker is very attached to Cosmo and Wanda. If there were a way in the present to remind him..."

"I thought when I outgrew my faeries, I'd forget about them?" Crocker said.

"Children have gotten around the rule," Jorgen said. "And given the circumstances, I may be convinced to let certain things slide."

"But what exactly?" past Wanda said.

"That is for you to discover," Jorgen said.  
**

* * *

**

Wanda had grabbed the wand, Cosmo, and returned to Timmy's old room. By some stroke of luck, Timmy's house stood, though it had been abandoned long ago. Wanda spared a half thought about Timmy's parents and placed Cosmo on the bed. He breathed shallowly and Wanda cupped his head in between her hands. ((Cosmo...Cosmo, if you're in there, answer me.))

((Wanda?)) It was very far away, like Cosmo was standing at the opposite end of a tunnel, but it was more than she'd heard in years.

"Mama?" Poof called, arriving in a purple shower of faerie dust. Wanda's eyes watered and she snatched Poof out of thin air to hug him tightly. He hugged her back and she pressed him in between herself and Cosmo. She cried, but, for once in the last few years, they were happy tears. She covered Poof's head in kisses and ran her fingers through Cosmo's hair.

"Nothing is going to tear us apart again," she vowed. Her eyes narrowed. "Nothing and no one."

((Wanda? Why is my chest all wet?))

"Dada?" Poof said. He poked Cosmo in the head. Wanda stared at her son. There was magic lingering around him, probably a wish. She sensed her old power clinging to him, along with Cosmo's. That was probably what had extended Cosmo's mentality enough to sense her.

Wanda propped Cosmo into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around him. Poof settled in Cosmo's head and then hovered to poke Cosmo in the head. Despite speaking to her mind to mind, he didn't seem to notice Poof's poking and prodding. Poof conjured up a mallet and Wanda yelped, grabbing it away.

"No, Poof! Bad Poof! Don't whack Daddy!" she chastised.

((Cosmo, Poof's here,)) she sent. Poof created a water balloon and dumped it on Cosmo's head. Wanda sighed.

((And now my head's wet,)) he said. ((What's going on?))

"You can't speak aloud?" she said. There was no answer. She bit her lip. She wouldn't let this depress her. Just because Cosmo was only present enough to hear telepathy and distantly sense physical interaction wouldn't bother her. She stroked his face and kissed him on the lips. Cosmo's lips twitched in response and she cheered, prompting Poof to cheer too and then look confused. She laughed. It felt good to laugh too and she grinned at Cosmo.

((Things took a turn for the better,)) she sent.

((Then why am I all wet? Did I miss something fun?)) he asked.

((Not yet,)) she answered. ((Hopefully, you'll never miss anything again.))

Whatever the wish was, it didn't impact them now. Poof poked Cosmo's temple and looked at his mother meaningfully.

"It'd be hard to explain to you," she said. "You're not quite old enough."

((Where's Devin?))

((Who?)) she said, blinking.

((He was taking care of me, except when Lorenzo chased him off. That's the last thing I remember.))

((I don't know...I'd heard for years you were catatonic,)) she answered.

((That's weird,)) he said. ((What's that mean?))

((In a coma, more or less,)) she said and gnawed her lip. She didn't want to think about it. Cosmo moved his hand and brushed hers. She hugged him again and kissed him on the cheek.

((I love you,)) she sent.

((But it's not like it was.))

((No,)) she said and sighed. In unison, they sent, ((It's like an echo.))

"Poof, poof!" Poof asserted. He was not accustomed to being ignored, particularly by his parents.

"Let's see how far a stolen wand and a baby can get," Wanda said, sending it via telepathy at the same time.

Cosmo caressed her mind and she smiled, growing positively giddy with excitement and pleasure. This was more than she'd ever hoped for.

((Hey, Wanda?)) Cosmo said right before she was about to poof off. To where, she didn't know.

((What?))

((Where's Timmy?))

((I don't know...)) she said. She clutched Cosmo and Poof tighter. Suddenly, she wasn't nearly as happy. She'd left him there, but the need had been so great. Poof fidgeted, feeling guilty too.

((He's okay,)) Wanda said. ((He has to be. He's got us from the past.))

((You're going to explain all this, right?)) Cosmo said. ((Using small words and pictures?))

She laughed again. ((Yes, hun. I'll take as long as you want.))

((I love you,)) he said. ((I will always love you.))

She grinned. "Let's see how much power this wand really has."

Poof poked his parents in the foreheads. "Poof, poof!"


	12. Impossible Measures

Author's Note: I'm sorry. Soulful-sin is feeling really lazy this week.

Chapter Twelve: Impossible Measures

"Okay, so...we have to leave something for you to find to remind you of Cosmo and Wanda, that Jorgen won't take away when he erases your memories of them," Timmy said. He groaned. "And we have to do it so you'll remember in time to stop hurting Cosmo and Wanda in the future."

"I don't understand how I got so twisted in the first place," Crocker said.

"I'm not gonna explain, dude," Timmy said. "I think it's part of the whole 'not interfere with what happens in the next two months' thing."

"The only things children leave behind to remind them of us we don't know about," Wanda said.

"And Fairy World's magic wipes over everything the kid touches," Cosmo said.

Timmy suppressed a scream. He whirled and began to pace Crocker's bedroom. "Right. So we have to design something Crocker didn't touch..."

He stared. An idea began to form. Maybe Wanda's intelligence was finally rubbing off. "That Crocker doesn't touch."

"Where are you going with this?" Crocker said.

"If I touch it, then Crocker didn't, right?" he said. "And I'm not supposed to lose my faeries until I turn eighteen."

"But Timmy," Wanda pointed out, "if you go back into the time stream, won't you end up losing them anyway?"

"Yeah...you'll be too old to have them by the time Aurora's fifteen," Cosmo said.

"Not if I don't reintroduce myself to it," he said. "Jorgen said Poof is supposed to be in two places at once, right? So he'll age. I won't. No problem."

"But you still haven't figured out a way to trick Fairy World," Cosmo said.

"I did it once with a clone," he said. "I could do it again."

"Jorgen doesn't fall for the same thing twice," Wanda said. She frowned. "I'm surprised you tricked him in the first place."

Her eyes narrowed. "And why did you?"

"Long story. No time. Uh...so...if you don't touch it, and I do...what's the best memory you have of your godparents?" Timmy said. He had a vague idea of making a picture book, but he knew without thinking about it Jorgen would find a way to manipulate the pictures not to show their true subjects. Crocker could leave himself a note, which was what he'd done in the first place. Faeries are real was a lot more innocuous than "Cosmo and Wanda are my godparents and I love them". He gnawed on his lip. This could be harder than he thought.

"Hmm..." Crocker said. "The best memory, and one you can sneak past Jorgen..."

"I don't see how it's possible," Wanda said.

"There's gotta be a way," Timmy said. "We just have to think of it."

Cosmo, Crocker, and Timmy looked at Wanda. Wanda stared back at them.

"What?" she said.

"You're the smartest one here," Timmy said. "You think of something."

"I...I don't know," she said. "I've never thought of a way around Da Rules before. And I've never had to face an evil version of a former godchild before."

"I know you can do it," Timmy said. A little positive encouragement never hurt. "It has to be me doing it, since my mind isn't getting wiped any time soon, and it has to be something Jorgen can't touch."

"But...Jorgen touches everything when he mind wipes a child," Wanda said. She frowned and hovered up and down. "And we don't know _how_ Denzel got so twisted in the first place. If we knew how, we might be able to prevent it."

"Oh, no," Timmy said. "We're not allowed to do that."

"Why not?" Cosmo said.

"Because, well...I kinda screwed it up," he said. "But don't worry. Fixing the future will probably fix some of it. I hope."

Wanda frowned. "What did you do?"

"I can't tell you," he said. "Maybe...maybe there's a way to create an exception. I mean, Crocker seemed to connect with Poof."

Wanda stared at him. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck and he swallowed hard. The stare intensified and he recalled in the future blurting out whatever it was she wanted and blaming Cosmo, as Cosmo was apt to do to him. He didn't like this look very much. Her intense scrutiny was almost impossible to break.

Out of the corner of his eye, he realized Crocker was giving him a version of it. It reminded Timmy of the way his older self looked just before he was about to launch another attack on him. Timmy was getting pretty freaked out.

"Um...I'm really not allowed to say..." he said. He squeaked, "Jorgen? A little help, please?"

"We need more information," Wanda said. "You know more than we do."

"Yeah, but I'm not allowed to tell you," he said. "C'mon, Jorgen. Please. I know I've never called you before, but...this is getting kinda scary."

"I wish he'd tell," Crocker said.

"Jorgen!" Timmy yelped.  
**

* * *

**

They flew over Dimmsdale, which was a barren, wretched place now. Crocker's mansion was the star attraction; all the other houses had fallen apart. Cosmo could still fly, though he couldn't speak out loud or shape shift. Poof drifted by his parents and Wanda erected a shield to disguise themselves. She couldn't stop touching her husband or son. She had to constantly reassure herself they were real, and that this was real.

"Mama?" Poof said, staring at her.

She'd started crying again. "I'm okay, Poof. I'm just happy, that's all."

"Women are weird," Cosmo said and Wanda dropped him in shock. Poof dashed underneath and caught his father, lifting him back up. Wanda stared in astonishment.

"You spoke out loud!" she said.

"I dunno," Cosmo said. "I think Poof's magic is catchy."

He sneezed. "Dusty, too."

Wanda shrieked and hugged him so tightly he turned blue. Then she grabbed Poof and buried him in the embrace too. Whimpering, Poof pushed against his mother's chest and tried to free himself.

"Too...much...love..." Cosmo panted and she released them hastily. He worked on regaining his breath and she blushed, chagrined.

"Sorry..." she said. She grinned at him and he grinned back.

"I love you, baby," he said.

"I love you too," she said. "Are you back to normal?"

"I think so," he said and sneezed. "As long as you two are around. But I dunno what caused it anyway."

Wanda frowned. She didn't know what caused her psychotic rages, either, or how to keep them from happening. The thought stilled her for a moment, but she refused to let herself be worn down. She whooped again and kissed her boys on the foreheads. Then she held their hands and soared over the sky. Dimmsdale was a wreck, plain and simple, and a giant shield on the sky prevented them from reaching Fairy World and calling for help. It looked like Timmy's house was the only house that hadn't been almost demolished.

"Where do we go now?" Cosmo asked.

She cheered again that he was speaking aloud and to her, and Poof rolled his eyes. She spun around in mid air and twirled them.

"You know," Cosmo said, grinning, "I remember we used to do this in Fairy World...but we didn't have a baby in between us. Or clothes, either."

Wanda smacked him upside the head. Poof stared blankly.

"Not now, Cosmo," she reprimanded. Cosmo froze and she froze too, sensing something lurking. She grabbed Aurora's wand and held it before her. Poof held out his rattle and they settled in normal flying formation, looking out for danger. At least, she and Poof were. Cosmo's eyes had gone blank again and she trembled.

She saw them as a black swarm and panic rose within her. Grabbing Cosmo and Poof, she transported to the only safe place she could think of, which was Timmy's bedroom again. Raising the wand, she shielded the house as best she could and Poof growled, conjuring up more safeguards. She didn't breathe easy until they couldn't see out any of the windows and the only hint of their presence was the thunder crackling.

((What's that?)) Cosmo sent and Wanda stared at him. Poof was resting against his father's stomach; Cosmo was lying on Timmy's pillows, which were full of dust. He sneezed again.

((Can you only speak out loud when we're touching?)) she said.

He stared at her and she saw vacancy in the expression. Shuddering, she drifted to the bed and wrapped her arms around Cosmo, so his back was to her chest. Poof flew up, to nestle along her shoulder and his father's. Wanda smiled, playing with Poof's curl.

((I feel like I'm falling back again,)) he said.

Wanda shuddered. ((We'll never leave you. Not again.))

((Who was that?))

((They're Enforcers sent by Crocker. He must have figured out we all escaped.))

Cosmo didn't answer. She prodded his mind and he was drifting off into a daze. Sighing, she rubbed his palm and kissed his neck. Cosmo jerked and swiveled his head around. His ears, she saw, were tipped the way they used to be back when children believed all Fair Folk had pointed ears.

"Strange..." she said.

They should think of something to do other than hide. They couldn't fight Crocker, not like this, and Wanda had no idea how much power Aurora's wand really had. She wanted her own back, but she wasn't allowed to use it. Crocker had all their magic anyway. She sighed, stroking Cosmo's hair and kissing him on the neck again. Poof patted their heads.

((This is gonna sound weird, but...))

((What?))

((Are Aurora and Poof the only faerie babies?))

She knew what he was getting at and she frowned. ((Yeah, they are.))

((Oh, okay. So, then...you didn't...))

((I did.))

((Oh. But...))

((Don't worry about it, pudding. What matters is that we're here and we're together.))

((And Timmy will come back and fix this.))

She nodded instead of answering. Holding Cosmo and having Poof on her shoulder was, for the moment, all she really wanted. Her heart swelled and she smiled, beaming when Cosmo nuzzled her cheek. Poof whined and Wanda kissed him on the forehead again. They'd come up with something later. For now, this was all they needed.


	13. Crawl

Author's Note: Lots and lots of dust today. Also, I totally wasn't intended for the semi solution in the first part to happen. I blame Cosmo. _Never _take plot bunnies from Cosmo. Seriously.

Also, the last scene was painful to write.

Chapter Thirteen: Crawl

Jorgen appeared amongst a huge faerie dust cloud, sending particles every which way in younger Crocker's room. Timmy's heart pounded in his chest and he thanked whatever force was looking out for him his Jorgen had answered, not the period piece Jorgen. However, the present Jorgen looked vexed with him, and he involuntarily took a step back. Instinctively, he recoiled closer to Cosmo and Wanda, and then remembered belatedly they weren't his, which was the problem. Ignoring his heart thundering in his head, he forced a smile. Jorgen did not smile back.

"What is it, tiny Timmy Turner?" Jorgen snapped.

"Got a slight problem," he said. "Can we go somewhere alone?"

Jorgen's eyes narrowed and he inspected Cosmo, Wanda, and younger Crocker. "You did not tell them what happened, did you?"

"No," Timmy said. "You said not to and I didn't. I thought you already knew when people did stuff without your permission."

"I do," Jorgen said. "And I knew you were going to call me before you did."

"Then what's the problem?" Timmy said, putting his hands on his hips. Then he realized he was unconsciously imitating Jimmy Neutron, and stopped. He settled for narrowing his eyes at him. "You know I have to talk to you."

"And I don't see why it's necessary," Crocker snapped. "How am I supposed to prevent myself from becoming a monster without knowing why?"

"And you're asking us to break Da Rules in order to save the future," Wanda said.

"Yeah, not to mention the time space continuum by keeping Timmy out of the time line and putting Poof back in," Cosmo said. Wanda, Jorgen, Timmy, and Crocker stared at him.

"What?" Cosmo said, blinking. "What'd I say?"

"Probably the first and last smart thing you'll ever say," Timmy said. "Anyway, what Cosmo and Wanda said."

"It does not have to be a conscious response," Jorgen said. "As Cosmo and Wanda are aware, the strongest responses are unconscious."

"So, what, we have to knock Denzel out?" Cosmo said. Wanda groaned.

"So much for Cosmo's idiot savant," she muttered.

"No," Jorgen said and rolled his eyes. "You have to generate something that Denzel will respond to on an instinctual level that will protect you in the future."

"Okay, look, I'll admit I'm probably not the smartest godkid Cosmo and Wanda have ever had," Timmy said. "But you're gonna have to be a _lot _clearer than that, dude."

"We can't help if we don't know how," Wanda said.

"Must I spell everything out?" Jorgen said.

"Yes!" Cosmo, Wanda, Crocker, and Timmy snapped.

Jorgen sighed. "What if I were to conveniently 'forget' Denzel had buried a time capsule containing pictures of his godparents in various disguises, and conveniently _not _wipe the distinguishing features out? That way, he wouldn't pursue Cosmo and Wanda in the future, though he would still go after faeries he didn't know about."

"So if he saw Cosmo and Wanda, he'd just stop in his tracks?" Timmy said.

Jorgen stared at him and grimaced. "I am already disavowing any knowledge of this. Just get on with it."

"But would he recognize us as an adult?" Wanda asked.

"No," Jorgen said. "he would just recognize that he knew you and you were not his true target. Perhaps, if you are lucky…no, no more hints! I have helped you enough! I must see if I can get to the future and prevent the Enforcers from stealing Poof away again. If he is in the hands of his sister…"

Jorgen shuddered.

He disappeared in a faerie dust cloud and the group exchanged looks. Cosmo twiddled his wand between his fingers and Wanda eyed Crocker and Timmy.

"Are we supposed to act like we don't know about this either?" she said.

"I don't know anything about anything!" Cosmo said happily.

"I don't know…" Timmy said. "How do you act like you don't know anything if _you're _in the pictures?"

"When we're high, we wouldn't notice the moon hitting Earth!" Cosmo said. Wanda groaned.

"Hmm…" Crocker said. Timmy folded his arms across his chest and stared at him.

"No way, dude," Timmy said. "I'd never hear the end of it if I told my Cosmo and Wanda I fixed the future by getting them wasted."

"Yeah, but future me would find it amusing!" Cosmo said.

Wanda groaned. "If it's to save ourselves…"

"Future Wanda wouldn't let you hear the end of it!" Cosmo piped up, still chipper. Timmy slapped a hand to his forehead. Crocker too looked uneasy and Timmy and Crocker exchanged a look.

"This is such a bad idea," Timmy said.

"It's the only one we have," Wanda said.

"And it's the best way to keep my godparents safe," Crocker said and paused a beat. "From me."

He frowned, narrowing his eyes at Timmy. "I don't suppose you'll ever tell me why I hate faeries so much, will you?"

"I can't," Timmy said. "Jorgen swore me to secrecy. And you know how scary he is when he's angry."

"Ha, and you said pot wouldn't come in handy, Wanda," Cosmo said.

"I didn't say it wouldn't, I said we _shouldn't _smoke up when we're on duty," Wanda said.

Cosmo scoffed. "You need to mellow out. Relax, baby. Take it _easy_."

She moaned.

* * *

Wanda listened to their linked heartbeats and tranquility consumed her. She could easily spend the rest of her life (until natural functions intruded) lying with her family. Cosmo stroked her hair and she rolled over in his arms; Poof fixed his position to suit her by resting against her wings. She peppered Cosmo's arms with kisses and kissed him passionately on the lips. Cosmo returned the favor and deepened the kiss.

"Mama?" Poof called. "Dada?"

"Not now, Poof," Cosmo said. "We're busy."

Wanda, who thankfully had more common sense than her husband, reluctantly broke off and stared at her son. Timmy's bedroom door crashed open, sending dust clouds throughout the room and prompting her and Cosmo to cough. Standing on the other side of the room, glaring at her and armed with a new wand, Aurora folded her arms across her chest and seemed lenient, though that might have been her imagination. She strode across the room and Poof produced nun chucks.

"Father is sending the Enforcers," Aurora said. "I am the first wave. Surrender now and I'll tell him to go easy on him."

"We'll never surrender!" Cosmo said and Wanda groaned.

"Why are you helping us?" she said.

Aurora stared at Cosmo. She opened her mouth to dismiss his stupid statement and then scrutinized him, for the first time in her life. Yanking on her hair, she inspected it, its shade, and stared at herself in Timmy's grimy mirror. Wiping away the dust, she surveyed herself and Cosmo's reflection. Silence hung heavily and Wanda waited for Aurora to reach the conclusion she had refused since she was old enough to know who Cosmo was. Her eyes widened and she pressed her hand onto the dirty glass. Spinning, she faced her parents and quivered.

"Father…Father never let me see Cosmo for longer than a few seconds at a time," Aurora said quietly. She yanked at her long locks again and gritted her teeth.

"You've got Wanda's intelligence," Cosmo said brightly. "And _my _good looks!"

Aurora studied them and ran her fingers through her hair. With work, she rooted out the thin, slinky pink streaks blending well with her overall green tint. Tucking the streaks back, she gripped her wand and wrung it between her palms. A tense moment followed and she locked eyes with Poof, Wanda, and Cosmo in turn. Wanda was abruptly aware of the Enforcers, who couldn't be too far behind. Yet Aurora was hovering on an emotional precipice and she knew from experience forcing a person to make a decision under pressure didn't always pan out.

"…Father?" she said softly.

"I usually prefer to be called Cosmo," Cosmo said lightly. "Or Dada, in Poof's case. But I guess I'll make an exception."

"You weren't lying, then," Aurora murmured. "Then…"

"You've been manipulated ever since the day you were born and Crocker stole you from me," Wanda said.

"I need some time to think about this," Aurora said. "There's a tracking device in the broach. Take it off and I'll put it on a rabbit. They won't find you in the old school. You can hole up there and I'll delay them."

"Are you sure?" Wanda said. "You're taking a terrible risk."

She unclipped the broach and tossed it to her daughter, who caught it handily and tucked it into her pocket.

"I'm positive," Aurora said and offered her mother a rare, true smile. "I don't know if I'm ready to call Father- Crocker- a liar just yet, but I'm not sure what to think. And I need to be sure if I'm going to act."

Inclining her head, she disappeared and Wanda grabbed her borrowed wand. "I think that's our cue."

They heard footsteps storming up the stairs and Cosmo said, "Why can't they poof?"

"Long story," Wanda said and gathered her boys to her. They huddled closer and Poof inclined his head, looking like he wanted to fight them off. Wanda shook her head.

"No, hun," she said. "They're half human, half faerie. They're too powerful for you right now. And there are too many."

Poof looked like he'd like to argue the point, with his limited vocabulary, and Wanda forestalled it by transporting them to the old school. She had a split second view of muscular, cloaked Enforcers rushing for them before they landed in Crocker's old classroom. In a panicked state, she'd instinctively sent herself to the one place in the school they'd been thousands of times before. Like Timmy's bedroom, it was covered in dust and Cosmo started sneezing. Wanda smiled weakly- Cosmo was allergic to dust, despite producing it as a faerie.

Aside from what looked like fifteen years of accumulated grime, the school was also unchanged. There was no need for school in Crocker's dictatorship. Beamed reports told children what they needed to know and then they were injected with magic in order to become the half human, half faerie soldiers Crocker used. All over Dimmsdale, schools and children's hangouts were desolate, isolated. Wanda hadn't left the mansion in fifteen years, so she didn't know the full extent.

She held up her wand before Cosmo started a sneezing fit.

"Wow, I can still see the Fs!" Cosmo said, pointing to Timmy's old desk, which had an F seared into the plastic.

"Aurora bought us time, but we can't count on her," Wanda said, pacing and kicking up little clouds. "And we can't fight back on our own."

"Why not?" Cosmo said. Wanda grimaced, holding up her wand and indicating Poof's rattle.

"Because only two of us have a power conduit and I have borrowed magic, which is linked to Aurora's life force," Wanda said. She swallowed hard. "If anything happens to Aurora…"

"What's our daughter like?" Cosmo said. He sat down in one of the seats and swung his legs back and forth. Since he was in a human adult form, he didn't quite fit. His legs smacked into the floor and brought up more dust. This was a housekeeper's nightmare.

"Right now, she's a confused teenager," Wanda said. "Normally, she's a power hungry impersonal single minded girl with no time for frivolities."

Cosmo was silent. Poof and Wanda stared at him.

"So, basically, she's not like either of us," Cosmo said.

"I blame Crocker," Wanda said.

"Are you sure you two didn't…" Cosmo looked pained and Wanda turned away. She didn't want to have this conversation. Poof wandered down the aisles and whimpered, poking desks with his rattle and sighing. He missed Timmy.

"We did, but nothing happened," Wanda said. "The only time was with Aurora, and she's yours."

Cosmo looked at her and she refused to return the gesture. Through their muted Bond, she felt distant horror and misery, and rather than comfort him like she might have done in the past, she flinched and backed away, heading toward the windows. Unfortunately, they too were liberally coated with grime and impossible to see out.

"How many times?"

"You don't want to know," she said and shuddered, hugging herself.

"Yes, I do," he said. "I want to know how often he hurt you."

Tears sprang to the surface and she swallowed hard. "This is the first time in years we've all been together. I don't want to think about it."

"But, Wanda…" Cosmo protested and hugged her from behind. He kissed her neck and rocked her gently. "I don't think I can stand not knowing. You told me when Juandissimo hurt you."

Wanda swallowed hard. She'd never told her father about that, since Big Daddy would have summarily executed him. Relaxing in Cosmo's arms, she watched her son drift through the room and stop in front of them.

"Timmy?" Poof said.

"He'll be back," Wanda said. She magicked the windows clean and looked out at the dreary, gray Dimmsdale landscape. The Enforcers had taken to the sky and moved like a black swarm, obliterating what little remained of the sun.

"I have to know," he insisted.

Anguish wrenched at her heart and her lips quivered. She spun in his arms and cupped his cheek.

"I love you," she said. "But you're better off not knowing."


	14. Turncoat

Author's Note: Big dramatic moments here. No time to proofread thanks to work (eh), so here's to hoping there aren't any glaring errors I'll have to fix later. XD

Enjoy! Please be sure to read and review!

Chapter Fourteen: Turncoat

Crocker paced back and forth; he was irritated he'd suffered so long without news. Aurora had departed a half hour ago and it shouldn't have taken her this long to locate her mother. Wanda had a tracking device embedded in the amulet, and there was no question of Aurora's abilities. Crocker had trained her himself. Therefore, she should have arrived, secured them, and returned by now. The Enforcers suffered in silence with him and he tried not to lash out. After all, this was far more than he'd ever dreamed, and without Turner, it was a dream come true.

"They're late," Lorenzo snapped, folding his arms across his chest. Lorenzo had been invaluable in training Aurora and shaping Crocker's mind to a more military bend. Since he had arrived after Aurora's birth, he'd seldom left Crocker's side.

"She'll be here," Crocker said. "You'll see."

"You're desperate," Lorenzo snapped. "Something has gone wrong. There's no reason for her to linger unless something has gone wrong."

"Nothing's gone wrong," Crocker scoffed. "See, there she is, flying overhead."

Lorenzo slapped him across the face. "_Flying_? Wanda has her wand, you fool. If she's flying, then Wanda _still _has the wand. If you wanted it done properly, you have sent me or done it yourself."

"I don't like your attitude," Crocker replied. "I'm your master, you know. You should show me respect."

"Not where I come from, you're not," Lorenzo said coolly. He stepped away and observed the sky. Crocker scrutinized his deputy and curbed his frustration. Now that he looked closer, Lorenzo's ears were tipped, almost like a faerie. No, that couldn't be quite right.

Aurora landed neatly and glared at Lorenzo. Lorenzo balled his fists.

"Good to see you too, " Aurora snapped. "Father- Crocker, we need to talk."

Crocker's eyes narrowed. "Since when do you call me 'Crocker'? I'm your father!"

"Well, well, the girl _does _have her mother's intelligence after all," Lorenzo said. "I was beginning to wonder whether she only resembled the frach."

"What's a frach?" Crocker wondered. Aurora ignored Lorenzo's comment.

"We need to talk in private," she said. "Please. Call off the Enforcers."

"Why haven't you brought back Wanda and Poof?" he retorted. "I specifically sent you out to capture them."

Impending doom descended upon him. This was how it always felt right before his plans fell apart at the seams in the past. Something crucial had broken and he had to put it to rights, before the whole kingdom crumbled. He shot Lorenzo a cool look, though he wouldn't admit the man (was he a man at all?) might have had a point. He stood his ground.

"We need to talk about Cosmo," Aurora said. They were standing on the front walkway a few hundred feet away from the iron gates Wanda loathed so much. She fumbled with her wand and tucked it into her pocket.

"Where are the other faeries?" Crocker snapped, feeling his patience ebb away. "Why haven't you brought them back?"

"I saw Cosmo," she said quietly. "And-"

"_Where are Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof_?" Crocker snarled. Lorenzo sighed and moved away, twirling a wand and vanishing on the spot. Huh. Crocker didn't know Lorenzo could teleport. Then again, he'd never seen the man with a wand, either. One of the Enforcers had a blank look on his face like he'd been bamboozled.

"Why didn't you tell me Cosmo was my father?" she said and swallowed hard, tears brimming. "Why did you let me think…"

Crocker's anger faded. He could rage at her, but she needed comfort. True, he hadn't always done right by her, though he tried. Opening his arms, he hugged her and she shoved him harshly away. Her hair turned into flames and she growled, tears vanishing and replaced by a heated gaze.

"You lied to me! You kept me away from Mother and for what? For this silly little empire? For _shrimp puffs_? For a man who's more obsessed with Timmy Turner than with helping you? What's the _point_? I know you were upset everyone laughed at you and you wanted to punish them, but this is pointless. You're not even happy," she snapped. "And neither am I."

Crocker was at a loss for words.

"Why should I help you round them up? Why should I help you do anything when you won't tell me the truth about who my parents are?" she said.

"Aurora," he said weakly, stunned, "I_ am_ your father."

It was her turn to be confused. Perplexed, she gawked at him and then it dawned on her. The flames switched to her normal hair and she shuddered.

"You believe it," she murmured. "You actually believe you're my father. You deluded crackpot."

"Wanda told me…" Crocker stared, crushed. Wanda had betrayed him. For years, he had believed her, even when evidence (and Lorenzo) insisted otherwise. For years, he'd believed Wanda was incapable of having other children and had left her alone, in interest of not hurting her again. He'd never intended to actually harm them, only use them and keep them around. They reminded him of something he'd had long ago…

"Mother lied," Aurora said quietly. "Mother lied to protect herself and Cosmo."

He'd been willing to trust Wanda, because he'd never been with a woman before. Waxelplax hadn't counted, because he hadn't known about it until it was too late. Throughout his life, he'd never really had friends, not after people discovered his obsession. Wanda had been his companion, along with Aurora, and he'd valued them. And now he realized it'd been a farce. Something irrevocable broke within him.

"Lorenzo!" Crocker called. "Lorenzo DeMedici!"

Reluctantly, the man reappeared and inclined his head. "Yes?"

"Find the others. Bring Wanda to me. Kill Cosmo and Poof."

A grin spread across Lorenzo's face. He bounced on the heels of his feet and it looked like Christmas had come early for him.

"It will be my pleasure," he said and, for the first time since Crocker had known him, Lorenzo sank into a low, eager bow.

* * *

Chills went down Wanda's spine and she and Cosmo exchanged a glance. Poof stopped looking mournfully at Timmy's empty desk and floated in between his parents. Without another word, Wanda bolted for the hallways and Cosmo and Poof immediately followed. Crocker might have had a vague sense of plans going awry, but she almost always had a feeling when wishes (or other magical events) were about to end in disaster. Panic thickened her throat and made it hard to swallow.

"Mama?" Poof called, concerned.

"Wanda, what's going on?" Cosmo asked. She'd shifted into a tiger and tensed, muscles quivering.

"We have to get out of here," she said and pounded down the filthy hallway. Cosmo ran beside her and an enormous cloud formed, choking them. Poof flew straight ahead and then bounced off Jorgen's chest. Wanda sank to the floor in relief. In her dreams, Jorgen had always accompanied Big Daddy and Blonda, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Jorgen seized Poof in his enormous right hand and held the rattle in his left. Poof whimpered and Wanda shifted back to her true form, waving her wand to permit Cosmo the same luxury.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"I am truly sorry, Cosmo, Wanda," he said. "I have to reintroduce Poof to the timeline."

"You can't take him away from me," Wanda protested. "I've only just gotten him back. He's _my _baby."

"Ours," Cosmo said and Wanda rolled her eyes to allow the concession.

"You'll have him back soon," Jorgen promised. "Timmy is taking too long to fix the timeline. This will have to do in the meanwhile."

He pounded his giant wand and Wanda snarled, launching herself at him as an angry cat. She flew through the air and landed, skidding, on the dirty floor. The loss hit her hard, sending her to her knees again. This time, she didn't get up. Raising her muzzle to the ceiling, she cried.

Cosmo collapsed beside her and his eyes went vacant. Wanda howled louder.

* * *

Getting two faeries high was harder than Timmy had expected. For one thing, Crocker's mom had come home, which meant Crocker couldn't hide in his room with his oddly colored parrots. For another, apparently, when they were high, Cosmo and Wanda had forgotten where they'd put the marijuana. Crocker could just wish for it, except there was a rules against wishing for drugs, specifically hallucinogenic ones.

Timmy was tempted to ask Jorgen to return one more time, except the faerie was already pretty upset. Technically, they were already bending a crucial rule, and it wasn't fair to ask him to break another one. Plus, furious Jorgen terrified Timmy and Crocker wasn't too pleased with the idea either. This left them in a quandary and with one critical question. How did two kids get their hands on pot?

Crocker cooled his heels downstairs with his parrots watching TV and Timmy had never found TV less appealing. Impatient, he jumped to his feet, sat back down, and glared at past Cosmo and Wanda. He was getting desperate. How did anyone get drugs in the first place? And why the hell should this have been left to them?

"We could steal them," Timmy suggested.

"I'm not, like, partial to theft," Wanda said.

"Yeah…" Cosmo said. "Maybe we should grow it ourselves. Acres and acres as far as the eye can see…"

Timmy growled. "Don't you two have anything useful to say?"

"Is it somewhere in my room?" Crocker said. "In Mother's room?"

"We put it somewhere no human would find it," Cosmo said, eyes defocusing thinking about it.

"The castle?" Timmy said.

"What castle?" Wanda and Crocker said.

"Oh, right, you live in a bird cage, not a fish tank," Timmy said and slapped a palm to his forehead.

"It was _near _water," Cosmo said.

"Or was it?" Wanda said.

"Was it?" Cosmo repeated.

Timmy slammed his head into the wall. "Can't you just wish they'd find it?"

"Can't," Wanda said. "It's against Da Rules to help someone find it too."

"Jorgen's really harshing our mellow," Cosmo said.

Timmy stopped banging his head against the wall and flexed his hands, longing to wrap them around Cosmo and Wanda's throat. Think, Turner, think. There had to be a non-magical solution to this, that didn't involve theft, getting arrested, or anything else unsavory. Crocker's mind wasn't jump-starting, which meant it was up to him. Normally, Timmy avoided all intellectual venues, preferring to take the easy way out. Unfortunately, that was closed off to him.

"Before you were with Crocker, where was the last place you went?" Timmy asked.

"You mean before we got Denzel?" Wanda said, frowning.

"No, before you came back to him this afternoon," he said. "When you were out…you know."

"Checking out Big Daddy's trash compactor services," Cosmo said. Wanda dropped off the perch in shock and squawked back up, glaring at her husband.

"Cosmo, you idiot, don't you dare say what I think you're going to say," she said.

"What did you think I was going to say?" he said innocently, confused.

"You left it with Big Daddy?" Timmy and Wanda shrieked.

"Who's Big Daddy?" Crocker said.

"Uh…" Cosmo smiled sheepishly. "I didn't _not _leave it with Big Daddy."

"COSMO!" Wanda and Timmy snapped.

"Dearie, what are your parrot and guest screaming about?" Mrs. Crocker said, ducking her head into the room. The living room was adjacent to the kitchen and Timmy winced, wishing he'd yelled at Cosmo quieter. It wasn't like Wanda had kept her voice down either.

"Nothing, Mother," Crocker said innocently. "Something on TV."

"Oh, okay," she said and went back to preparing dinner. Timmy sighed, relieved.

"Cosmo," Wanda said in a lower, quavering voice, "what on earth possessed you to think leaving drugs near a mafia den would be a good idea?"

"Uh…we were high?" Cosmo said and grinned at her. "But you still love me, right?"

Wanda didn't answer.

"Right?" he pressed.

"So we have to go to Fairy World to get it?" Timmy groaned. "Doesn't that count as wishing for it?"

"Right?" Cosmo said, ignoring Timmy completely and eying Wanda with real worry in his eyes.

"Not unless you wish for it specifically," Wanda said. Crocker's eyes widened.

"I get it," he said.

"Good," Cosmo said. "Now can someone please explain it to me?"

"It'll have to wait until after dinner," Crocker said. "Mother's making meatloaf. And shrimp puffs for dessert!"

"Dude, what is with you and shrimp puffs," Timmy said. "They're not that good. Really."

"You've never tried them," Crocker said defensively.

"I have," Timmy said. "And it'd better be right after dinner."

Cosmo, meanwhile, was talking aloud to himself about where they'd gone in Fairy World. It looked like Big Daddy's place wasn't the only spot they'd gone, which might mean a veritable egg hunt. Wanda slapped her wing to her forehead and Timmy slapped his palm against his again. This was going to be fun.


	15. Pot Will Save the World

Author's Note: Today is my birthday, so leave me lots of birthday love and reviews. Yes? Of course yes. :D

Also, 'frach' is a derogatory term for a fairy godmother. It's the equivalent of calling a woman a 'cunt'. Hence Wanda's reaction later…

Chapter Fifteen: Pot Will Save the World

Lorenzo had no problems tracking the faeries. In fact, he'd entered this world by subterfuge with the sole purpose of finally succeeding in his mission. True, it didn't have the added effect of Timmy in the timeline, but he'd work out the kinks later. It was a shame Crocker wanted Wanda alive, though Lorenzo had a feeling he'd enjoy Crocker torturing her. He had seen the dark look in his eyes and knew what it portended.

Equipped with the wand, he was almost at his zenith, which meant capturing Cosmo and Wanda ought to be easy. He couldn't sense Poof anymore and let the irritant languish in the back of his mind. Poof could be located later. In his world, Poof hadn't even existed, so it didn't matter. Besides, how much could one baby do?

He arrived in Dimmsdale Elementary and blinked, trying to place from Timmy's old foggy memories where he might be. Then a pink furry blur leapt at his throat and Lorenzo slammed into the floor, dust rising and coating them liberally. He stared into Wanda's eyes and shuddered. Without Cosmo to anchor her, Wanda had flown into a psychotic rage. Cosmo was catatonic and Lorenzo didn't bother with him. Not that he really had a choice, mind you, because Wanda dove for his jugular and he had to squeeze the wand to send her flying off. Dust streaked across the floor and Wanda snarled, narrowing her eyes and pawing the tiles.

"You know," Lorenzo said, vaguely hoping banter might restore her partially, "the last time you were this angry at me I was threatening Timmy."

Nothing sparked in her eyes. He ducked and her claws scraped the back of his neck. Using the wand, he conjured a shield and scooped Cosmo up. Wanda roared like a dragon and changed again, into a charging rhino. Lorenzo spared a thought for how large the school corridors were to accommodate this- before he sidestepped, tripped, and found himself with a horn through his shirt crushed against a locker.

"Let him go," Wanda snapped. "Now."

"Frach," Lorenzo said and swallowed, realizing now of all times was probably not the best to call her that.

Wanda spat in his face and raised the horn, which was already only a few inches away from Cosmo's head. Lorenzo had, as a last resort, grabbed Cosmo for a shield.

"Let go of him or I'll kill you," she said. Her eyes glowed hot and Lorenzo trembled. She looked quite capable of carrying out the threat, too.

"Now, now, Wanda, let's not do anything hasty," he said.

The world rippled and his vision doubled. Magic coursed through him and he gasped, its flow shocking every cell in his body. Cosmo's head lolled against his breastbone and Wanda's horn slipped, tearing his shirt along the way. The pressure holding him ceased and he collapsed onto the floor with Cosmo in his lap. He had no sense of what had happened to Wanda and didn't particularly care on that account.

"Let go of my father," an authoritative teenage male voice snapped. Lorenzo's vision cleared and he saw a young faerie in human form holding nun chucks. The faerie had purple, pink, and green hair, with piercing purple eyes, and he was lean and muscular.

"And who might you be?" Lorenzo said scornfully. "The tooth fairy?"

"Your executioner if you don't release my parents right now," the boy snapped and Wanda reappeared, back to her human form (with pointed ears, but it couldn't be helped). She clutched her wand and her eyes gleamed, body shaking.

"Poof?" she whispered.

"Mama," he said and beamed at her. Lorenzo jumped back to his feet and squeezed the wand again. His fear had fled and he tossed Cosmo aside like he was nothing. Poof clearly posed the greater threat and Wanda's psychotic rage had dissipated. The wand wasn't as powerful as the transistor, but it embellished his natural power and he ought to be able to take down one child. He assumed a defensive stance and the wand glowed, sending off warning sparks.

"You don't exist in my universe," Lorenzo informed him. "You're about to cease existing in this one too."

Poof rushed him and Lorenzo stepped aside, gritting his teeth. He was faster than his sister, with an uncanny ease, and changed directions once he realized Lorenzo wasn't in his path. He jumped up and looked like he was about to pile drive him, so Lorenzo sidestepped, only to be caught by sticky glue. Snarling, he used the wand to extricate himself and combined its magic with his own brand, sending black and purple tentacles after the child. Poof bounced, erecting a safety net around his parents. Lorenzo smirked. The momentary lapse, which allowed Poof to protect them, also afforded Lorenzo an opportunity to strike while Poof's back was turned. He hadn't stayed alive by playing fair.

The tentacles wrapped around Poof and Lorenzo transformed them, into branding irons, sizzling flesh and setting the wand on fire. Poof beat out the flames and whirled, snarling. Lorenzo raised his eyebrows. The child hadn't even cried out in pain. Instead, his eyes narrowed with a focus reminding Lorenzo unpleasantly of the way his father dueled in his universe, and he knew he'd better cease the tricks if he wanted a level playing field.

Poof produced nunchucks and sprang into action, feigning with his body and shooting out magic through his hip, where the wand was. Lorenzo had never fought against an enemy simultaneously using magic and physical attacks. He had to watch both ways, for where Poof might be going and where his magic landed. It left him on the defensive, his back against the wall, and he was getting irritated. There might be more to defeating the child than simply snapping his neck.

"Back off and I promise I won't hurt you," Poof said.

"Do you know how many years I've been waiting for this?" Lorenzo countered. "If I can't kill the frach, I can at least kill Cosmo."

Poof smiled coldly. "I'd like to see you try."

* * *

"We're here in Fairy World," Timmy said and shot a dirty look at Crocker. "After _he _stopped for seconds. And thirds."

Imitating his mother's voice, Crocker said, "'A growing boy has to eat'."

"But do you have to eat so much? Dude, we have a situation here," he said, rolling his eyes.

"The way I figure it, it'll take us a few hours to find out where my godparents…" Crocker winced.

"Where we stashed the dope!" Cosmo said cheerily and Wanda groaned.

"Could you at least not call it that?" she said. "It makes us sound like druggies."

"But, marijuana _is_-" he started and she glared.

"All right," Timmy said. "We have a map of Fairy World. Mark on the map where you guys think you went and we'll really hope we don't have to deal with Big Daddy."

"I still don't know who Big Daddy is," Crocker said and Wanda groaned. She conjured up a magic marker and started adding points, shoving Cosmo away when he insisted on drawing a diagonal line across the entire area. It seemed Wanda at least somewhat kept her head when she was high, in a relative way. Gnawing her lip, she frowned and puzzled over a couple areas, which Cosmo said they'd gone to, and she said they hadn't.

"Big Daddy is my father," Wanda said and shuddered. "He's in charge of garbage pickup in Fairy World."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Crocker said. "Why are you and Timmy afraid of him?"

"Big Daddy- Cosmo, no, we haven't gone there in ages- Big Daddy is the head of the faerie mafia," she said.

Crocker's mouth formed a little 'oh' and he winced, looking at the map. "No wonder you and Timmy freaked out."

Timmy surveyed the map. Wanda had marked six places, including Mama Cosma's house and Big Daddy's den. He frowned, folding his arms across his chest.

"I thought Mama Cosma still thinks you're out getting the milk," Timmy said.

"She does," Wanda said. "But she was out this afternoon, and Cosmo still has a room there."

"And a key!" Cosmo said brightly.

"The Fairy World armory, the F.U.N., Fairy World spa, and…uh…what is this place?" Timmy squinted at the map and Wanda went bright red.

"It's the Fairy World-" Cosmo started and Wanda slapped a hand over his mouth.

"We'll check that place ourselves," she promised and Cosmo giggled. He told them through her hand, which, thankfully for them, they couldn't hear. Crocker and Timmy exchanged a clueless look and stared at the faeries.

"Where do you want to start?" Timmy said. Cosmo couldn't stop giggling and Wanda elbowed him in the ribs.

"We might as well bite the bullet and see if Daddy's seen our..." Wanda groaned. "Cosmo, I can't believe you think we left it there."

"So? Big Daddy could use some mellowing out," Cosmo said. "Maybe less people would get whacked."

"Or maybe _you'd _get whacked for leaving it there," she said. "Do you really want to give Daddy another reason to hate you?"

"Your father loves me!" Cosmo said. He beamed. "That's why he always sends me lots of fish and tells me I'll be sleeping with them if I upset him!"

Wanda groaned again. "You realize the people who 'sleep with the fish' are dead, right?"

"So?" Cosmo said. She moaned and slapped a palm to her forehead.

Wanda held up her wand and transported them to Big Daddy's base. A chill went through Timmy. The last time he'd been here, Big Wanda had ruled Fairy World and he'd been afraid the group was going to assassinate her. Needless to say, it didn't bring back pleasant memories. Plus, he'd never been here with Big Daddy ruling, and he wasn't sure how things worked. They couldn't just walk in, could they?

Cosmo apparently thought they could. After Wanda brought them to the front doors, he brought them inside. Big Daddy was shaking a trembling faerie down, confined in a garbage can and squeaking.

"I'll have the money soon! I promise!" he said. Big Daddy slammed the trash can lid down and shook it vigorously.

"Uh, Daddy?" Wanda said.

"Hi, Daddy!" Cosmo said and flew straight at him. Big Daddy glared and threw the garbage can at Cosmo's head. Cosmo fell like a rock onto the floor and, rolling his eyes, Big Daddy snatched Wanda up and hugged her tightly.

"My baby!" he said. "How are you, puddin'? What brings you and your godson…and this other kid…here?"

"It's kinda embarrassing, actually," she said and blushed. They separated and she fidgeted, like a naughty child. "Cosmo and I were up here earlier and we were wondering if we left something behind."

"You were up here and you didn't say hello?" he said, arching his eyebrows at her.

"We weren't exactly-"

"We were as high as a kite!" Cosmo said and Wanda slapped a palm to her forehead.

Big Daddy stared at the two of them. Wanda wilted under his gaze, but unsurprisingly, Cosmo was unaffected. He zoomed around the room, having flung the trash can off, and tossed aside random plants. Security guards, displeased with the way Cosmo was now disarranging the decorations, seized him by the arms. A pot in the corner had its leaves all over the floor, and a couple chairs were upended, lying in the dirt Cosmo had tossed around.

"You've been doing drugs," Big Daddy said in an emotionless voice. Wanda squirmed.

"It's only pot," she said. "It's the 1970s, Daddy. Everyone's doing it."

"Oh, really?" he said and advanced. She cowered, shaking and clutching her wand.

"We need it," Crocker said. "If you've seen it. It's very important."

"You are gonna tell me what to do? You, a little pipsqueak with glasses and your friend with the silly pink hat?" Big Daddy snapped.

"We're wasting time!" Timmy chimed in. "I know this sounds ridiculous, and I feel a little crazy saying it, but that pot will save the world. You have to trust us."

"The day I take orders from a kid is the day I let my daughter run around using_ human _drugs with who knows what's in them?" he snapped.

"I know what's in them!" Cosmo said. Big Daddy glared.

"Shut it right now or I'll make you," he snapped. He grabbed Wanda and disappeared. Crocker moaned and Cosmo stared, not entirely clear what was going on.

"While he's gone," Timmy said. "Cosmo, I wish we could search the place!"

"Not your godfather," Crocker pointed out.

"Oh, yeah, right," Timmy said and flushed.

"I wish we could search the place!" Crocker said. He frowned. "I wonder why Big Daddy's so upset. It's the 70s. Everyone's on something."

"Who knows, dude?" Timmy said. "Let's just look. And hope it's here. 'Cuz the longer Big Daddy takes with Wanda, the less chance she'll have of standing up to him."

"Ha," Cosmo said. "Wanda's never been able to stand up to Big Daddy."

"Great…" Timmy groaned. "More good news."


	16. You Can Check Out Any Time You Like

Author's Note: What is this? Two past snippets and one really short future one? What is this? Is the story drawing to a close? OMG.

Chapter Sixteen: You Can Check Out Anytime You Like…

Timmy and Crocker spent a half hour searching through every nook and cranny in Big Daddy's headquarters. They located nothing, save aggravation, and Timmy was losing what little patience he had left. He'd never been this long without his godparents, although technically, a single day hadn't passed. Jerking along the timeline made relative time insignificant and yet, he was getting tired. They couldn't find the pot, they couldn't save his godparents, and he didn't know what was happening to them. In 1972, they were right here, but they weren't in his present, and between past, present, and future, it was getting screwed up. And all he wanted were his faeries in the fish bowl, himself between the covers, and a good long rest.

"Oh, wait, now I remember," Cosmo said. "It's not here at all."

Crocker, in the middle of shoving books aside on a bookshelf in Big Daddy's private study, gawked. Timmy snarled and launched himself at Cosmo; he shook him until he was positive what little brains he possessed rattled.

"_You idiot_!" Timmy screamed. "You led us on a wild goose chase for nothing! Where the heck is it!"

"I don't…know…ask…Wanda…" Cosmo said, dazed.

Timmy, brandishing Cosmo like a weapon in front of him, glared at Crocker. Crocker stared back and Timmy was tempted to throw Cosmo around like a large, warm, breathing rock. He was tired, he was frustrated, and he wanted to go _home_. Tears prickled the corners of his eyes. He was only a child. The weight of the universe was on him and he didn't want it anymore.

"Then wish for her!" he snarled at Crocker.

Crocker frowned and murmured, "I wish Wanda were back and we were near wherever you think you left it."

Cosmo held up his wand, gulped and avoided Timmy's gaze, and summoned Wanda back. Pale and shaking, Wanda forced a smile at the group.

"Did you find it?" she said.

"It's not here," Timmy said. "Cos-moron remembered more or less where he left it."

Wanda pursed her lips and then relaxed, her gaze softening. He might not be her godson right now, but she understood children. After all, they'd been responsible for hundreds of human children. She laid a hand on his shoulder and drew him into her arms.

"You'll be fine, hun," she promised. "It'll all be over soon."

"Yeah, and then you'll have a whole new problem!" Cosmo said. Wanda stroked Timmy's hair and smiled at Crocker.

"I'll handle the second half of the wish," she said and held up her wand. They were whisked away, out of Big Daddy's house, and to a factory Timmy had only seen once, when the Chamberlain, Queen Titania, and King Oberon were plotting to seize the royal jewel. Fairy World's color vats were enormous and pumping fresh colors to support the magic and rainbows all over Fairy World. At the base of the enormous rainbow at the very top of the highest mixer was a small bag inside a golden pot and Wanda grinned, shaking it for good measure.

Timmy slapped a palm to his forehead.

"It made sense, at the time," Wanda said.

"Wow, no wonder we left it here," Cosmo said. "Think of how many more colors we saw while we were high."

"I wish I had a magical camera that would do whatever it takes to save the world!" Crocker said.

"Hang on, sport," Wanda said. Cosmo grabbed a joint and handed it to his wife.

"We have to be completely out of it, remember?" she said.

Timmy and Crocker groaned in unison. They exchanged a look and Timmy stifled a yawn. Wanda's sympathetic look tightened Timmy's throat and his eyes were hot. She sounded the same, but she didn't know him the way his version did. And if they didn't fix this, she'd never come back. Neither would Cosmo, idiot though he was trying to duel blunts with her. And he'd never have his godbrother…

"I wish enough time lapsed so that we could take the pictures _and _I had the camera!" Crocker said.

They held up their wands, the wish was granted, and Timmy became aware of time rippling around them, an hour passing. His eyes grew heavy and he staggered, leaning on Crocker. Crocker wasn't that bad, before losing his faeries had made him bitter. Even if he'd been a pain in the beginning, he was more than willing to help. Maybe, after this was all said and done, if Crocker didn't capture Cosmo and Wanda and relented a little, Timmy might…might…

Crocker jabbed him in the ribs. "Wake up."

"Sorry," Timmy said and yawned. "Nodded off."

"Can you hold the camera?" Crocker said.

"You realize this picture's not going to even vaguely resemble the original, right?" Timmy said. "Especially if you're in it. Jorgen would never let you keep a picture with you _and _your godparents."

"Then…" Crocker frowned and his expression turned melancholy. "I know you can't tell me how I lose my godparents, or why I became such a monster, but can you tell me one thing?"

"What?" Timmy said.

"Do you think there's any hope for me? Future me, I mean," he said. "Or I am doomed to be a bitter man who spends all his life ruining everyone else's happiness?"

"I dunno, dude," he said. "Maybe this will change things a little. You never know."

"For what it's worth," he said, "I hope you get your Cosmo and Wanda back. If they mean as much to you as they do to me…they were worth all this."

"I don't know what I'd do without them…" Timmy said and swallowed hard. "And, for what it's worth…I'm really sorry."

"I don't know what you're talking about," younger Crocker said, "but I'll try to remember that, if Jorgen doesn't wipe my memories."

They looked at 70s Cosmo and Wanda, who were babbling about nothing and laughing hysterically. At one point, Cosmo actually pounded the ground in laughter over nothing and Crocker smiled. Timmy's gut wrenched. Jorgen had made him promise he couldn't tell Crocker. And he knew if he did, the one chance he had to save the world would disappear forever.

"Say cheese, Cosmo and Wanda!" Crocker said and snapped the pictures.

"Wait!" Timmy said and then his throat constricted. Jorgen appeared behind them and, waving his wand, transported him to his side. It was his Jorgen, Timmy noted, not the current one. Confused, Crocker stared at them and Jorgen shook his head.

"I know you feel guilty for what is about to happen, but you cannot tell him. You have done enough meddling already," Jorgen said.

"But, dude…I ruined his life," Timmy said and swallowed hard. "And he wasn't that bad before I…he actually _loves _Cosmo and Wanda."

"My job is to enforce Da Rules, not to be fair to every single godchild," Jorgen said. "You cannot interfere any more, no matter what."

"How can you just stand there and know he's gonna turn into a warped human who steals Cosmo and Wanda in the future?" he snapped.

"Fairy World cannot make every unhappy child happy," he said. "We do the best we can. He was happy, when he had Cosmo and Wanda. Remember that."

Timmy opened his mouth and Jorgen overrode him.

"Life isn't fair, tiny Timmy Turner. Faeries do what they can to try to change things, but there are some things even we cannot do, no matter how much we want to."

* * *

Crocker, at Timmy's behest, left the pictures inside a cardboard box buried under a floorboard in his room. Time-release magic was acceptable, considering Jorgen was already bending Da Rules, and Crocker set it for the exact day his future self abducted Cosmo and Wanda. Their situation was settled and he and Timmy collapsed on Crocker's bed. Cosmo and Wanda were coming down off their high, but they were still babbling about things the children didn't know about. Timmy was glad they hadn't needed to search high and low in Fairy World to find their solution.

"You could use a good night's sleep," Crocker said.

"I'm not sleeping-" Timmy punctuated his words with a yawn "-until I get my faeries back."

"You need sleep," he argued. "You're going to fall over."

"I'm fine-" Timmy said and yawned again.

"I wish, for the night, you two were his faeries again and he could sleep," Crocker said.

"That's not what I meant and you know it, dude," Timmy protested. Cosmo and Wanda held up their wands and shifted into cats at Timmy's side. They nuzzled their future godson and Timmy vaguely remembered his faeries telling him the godchild had to be ten times as miserable as him before they could be passed along. Was he ten times more miserable than Crocker? He didn't think so…was Jorgen bending more rules? Or was…

He slumped on the bed and Cosmo and Wanda hugged him. Safe and secure, he drifted off.

"Good night, Timmy. Good night, Cosmo and Wanda," Crocker said softly. "I'm sorry for whatever it is I'll do that made you hate me so much in the future…"

* * *

Poof had Lorenzo on the defensive and it soon became apparent Lorenzo was never going to win. So he did what he did best and beat a retreat. Using Crocker's loaned wand, he disappeared to another universe. What did it matter if Crocker was his 'master' here? He owed him no loyalty. The only person he could claim any fealty toward was Timmy and there wasn't even a Timmy in this timeline. Screw it.

* * *

"Wow, what a coward," Cosmo said after Lorenzo had disappeared with a crack.

"You can talk again!" Wanda said and hugged him tightly.

"Huh?" Cosmo said. "When wasn't I talking?"

"We should find Aurora," Poof said, holding himself proudly, as well he might since he'd defeated an anti faerie years older that had more training than he did. "Crocker's not going to be happy with her choices."

"Hey, what'll happen to Aurora when Timmy fixes the timeline?" Cosmo said.

"Maybe we'll get her back," Wanda said and smiled. "One way or another."


	17. Cyclical

Author's Note: I left just enough for an epilogue. Enjoy!

Chapter Seventeen: Cyclical

Aurora swallowed hard and stood her ground. Lorenzo hadn't returned, and, along with Wanda's defection and subsequent revelations, Crocker raged. He'd used his Enforcers to capture her and then, when the timeline rippled and Poof was added, she used the distraction to fight her way free. Enforcers were blinking, puzzled over the new orders Crocker would have issued if Poof had existed here all along, combined with the orders he had already issued before the timeline altered. It engendered a lot of headaches and Aurora decided to leave the paradox until later, if there was a later.

Spinning high into the sky, she headed for where she detected her parents' magic and Crocker rose into the air to face her. Cosmo and Wanda's magic elevated him and pink and green illuminated his frame. The pendant around his neck allowed him to levitate and Aurora shuddered- stolen magic. Her heart pounded and she pointed her wand at him.

"I don't want to have to hurt you, Father," she said. "I know you love me and…" she swallowed. "I love you too, but…"

"No!" he snapped. "You can't leave me, not like Wanda! I won't let you!"

"You might have raised me, but…but Cosmo is my _father_ and you've hurt Mother by keeping him from her," she said and her hands were unsteady. Unable to keep the wand upright, she tucked it into her pocket.

"Your mother betrayed me," he snapped. "I raised you! I nurtured you! Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof aren't your family! I am!"

"I...I don't know!" she screamed and started shaking. "You kept my mother from me, you kept from ever knowing my father, and then you expect me to just go along with this while you plan to kill my whole family?"

"Because they're not your family! I am!" Crocker said. "Aurora, _I _named you. _I _took you from Wanda's arms. Sure, she might not have appreciated it, but you were better off with me. You have to stay with me. I _need _you."

"You stole me…" Aurora's mouth dropped. "You…took me from my mother's arms?"

She could have had a normal life, or at least, enjoyed a relationship with her mother that wasn't based on coldness and disconnection. Moreover, this despicable being had actually gone so far as to take a baby out of its mother's arms.

"It was for your own good!" Crocker said.

Aurora staggered in mid air. It felt like the magic pendant had grown a blade and sliced it straight through her torso. Shattered remnants of her illusions remained and plummeted to the ground. If she hadn't tucked her wand into her pocket, it would have fallen to Earth. A few startled cries escaped her lips, but nothing articulate.

"You almost killed me when I took you from Wanda's arms," Crocker mused abstractly.

Aurora gritted her teeth and raised her wand. Through clenched teeth, she said, "I'm going to my family, to my _real _family. Don't you dare follow."

Shaking from head to toe, "I…I declare you anathema. You no longer…you no longer exist to me!"

Sick with betrayal, she transported herself not to her family's side, but to Timmy's old house first, so she could cry herself out before she faced what was to come. Doubled over, she sobbed amid the dust and the fragments of her parents' former godchild's belongings.

* * *

"I'm sending you back right before the incident," Denzel said. It was an hour before his school day started and they hadn't eaten yet. Timmy's nerves were afire, praying this worked. Cosmo and Wanda floated at their godson's side and Timmy ignored the longing he felt. It would all be over soon, for good or ill. His part was almost over.

"Good luck, Timmy," he said and shook his hand. Timmy couldn't meet his eyes.

"I wish I could tell you what happens," he said and ground his right fist, the one not holding Crocker's hand. "I wish I could help you like you helped me. It's not fair."

"I'm sure fixing the future will help me too," he said and Timmy removed his hand. "I know you can't tell me what's going to make me lose my godparents, but if we can fix the future, maybe I won't be that bitter angry man who hurts everyone he touches. You never know."

"Yeah, I do," Timmy said. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Denzel said and smiled at him. "But I don't know what I'm apologizing for, because I haven't done anything yet.

"Cosmo and Wanda, I wish Timmy was back to his time!" he said and they held up their wands. Faerie dust filled the room and tears pricked his eyes. His heart pounded.

"Bye, Cosmo, Wanda, Crocker…" he said into the dust. "See you in about forty years."

* * *

Crocker carried the unconscious Timmy to his torture chamber of choice, the janitor's closet. On the way, he hesitated, reaching into his pocket to look at photos shoved into an envelope he'd found this morning. Placing Timmy in the chair but not hooking it up, he opened the envelope and stared at the pictures. Two nondescript creatures, male and female, grinned back at him and he paused again. The grins reminded him of someone, someone he'd known a long time ago, and he tried to remember, tried so hard to recall it. Because then, he'd been happy. It was imperative he remembered being happy.

There were pictures of parrots and he didn't remember owning parrots, had he? Somehow, snuck into the pictures, was one of him, younger, and Timmy. Startled, he looked at the unconscious boy and then back at the picture. They were united in some grand secret and he, on whim, looked at the two laughing, grinning creatures in the first photograph. Since the pictures were black and white, their hair were in shades of grey, but he thought he recognized the hippie hair and love beads. He didn't understand. They were so familiar.

Scowling, he put the pictures down and strapped Timmy down. Timmy's head lolled and he delivered a wake up electric shock to him. Timmy jolted awake and he backed up, allowing Turner's eyes to refocus. He entered the room again and waited.

"I'm not going to tell you anything," he snapped. Crocker snapped on a light overhead and Timmy squinted at it. He'd be angrier than this, full of hatred toward his adversary, but he didn't understand why the pictures were there, and what they meant. A younger version of himself and Timmy should have been impossible.

He returned to the script.

"You don't have to," Crocker said, grinning. "I've figured something out, Turner."

"That you're a deluded crackpot with too much time on his hands and no chance of ever finding faeries, ever?" Timmy retorted.

"No," Crocker said and glowered. "I've discovered your faeries appear whenever you're in danger." His glower transformed into a grin. This was it. This was finally it. Everything he'd ever worked for was about to come to fruition.

"They would, if they were real," Timmy said. "And isn't someone going to _hear_ you torturing me and come investigate?"

"No," Crocker said simply and flicked a switch behind the chair. Timmy screamed and while his vision blanked out, Crocker again looked at the pictures. His gut wrenched and his conscience, long silent, suddenly balked. Maybe he shouldn't be torturing him. Maybe he should cut him a little slack. He might be miserable too.

"Call them."

He knew Timmy had faeries. He had to see them. Once he saw them, he'd capture them and then…but the happy creatures in the pictures…was this right?

"No!" Timmy said.

"One more time, then," Crocker said and flicked the switch again. This time, three splashes appeared in faerie dust and he staggered, recognizing the pink and green paint cans. He didn't know how, but the birds on the front were familiar. And the purple, it reminded him of D.J., his son for less than a day. The birds were like the paint cans, and the paint cans were like the only time in his life where he'd ever been happy. He didn't know how he knew this, but upon looking at the pictures and the faces on the cans, he _knew_. His throat constricted.

Timmy's eyes flew to them too and Crocker froze. He scooped up the pictures and stuffed them into his pocket. Sweat trickled down his back. Whatever weird thing was going on, it had to be the result of faeries. But…not these faeries. He couldn't steal these faeries. Maybe another time, maybe he'd hound Timmy in the future. Not until he figured this out.

"I just remembered Mother has a foot scrubbing appointment," he said and shuddered. "Another time, Turner!"

He bolted out of the room and the world shifted for a moment, slipping away from him. The sensation passed and he shook his head. He'd been so close to achieving his goal, but it could wait until the world made sense again. True, it never made sense around Turner, but there was a first time for everything.

* * *

"Woah, that was weird," Timmy said. Cosmo and Wanda immediately released him from the trap and he hugged his faerie family. "What just happened?"

"Uh, a really horrible timeline involving Wanda being Crocker's consort, me in a coma, and a random daughter got erased?" Cosmo said and everyone stared at him.

"Nah," they decided in unison. A folded note fluttered down from the ceiling and landed in Wanda's outstretched hands. Cosmo and Poof huddled closer to her to read it, and, for Timmy and Poof's benefits, since they couldn't read, she narrated its contents.

"Dear Cosmo and Wanda,

Expect a sister for Poof in about a year. Also, for your work in restoring the timeline, tiny Timmy Turner, you will receive a Fairyversary Muffin, entitling you to one rule free wish. Use it wisely!

Jorgen Von Strangle."

"Okay…I don't know what he's talking about, but sweet," Timmy said and grinned. They left the janitor's closet and his faeries disguised themselves as pins on his backpack.

"What are you gonna wish for, Timmy?" Cosmo said.

They walked past Crocker, staring at the teacher's lounge and looking thoroughly lost. Cosmo and Wanda shuddered and Poof whined sympathetically. He expected Crocker to hear them, but he didn't. He just kept staring into the teacher's lounge at the happy, mature adults within and Timmy suddenly remembered something in a fog.

"_I'm so sorry…"_

"I know this is gonna sound weird," Timmy said. "But maybe I should wish for something for Crocker."

"Aw…helping your enemy," Wanda said. "That's so sweet, Timmy."

"Unless it totally backfires and comes back to haunt you!" Cosmo said and Wanda kicked him.

"Nah, I don't think this will," he said.


	18. Epilogue

Author's Note: It's been a long trip, hasn't it, readers? I hope you've enjoyed reading it as I've enjoyed writing it, through all its twists and turns. I hope I did a good job with the story overall, and this chapter in particular.

Please continue to read and review my other pieces. Thank you for your support.

Epilogue

Timmy bit into the Fairyversary muffin and winced, its bitter astringent taste like needles scraping his tongue. Worse yet, the taste lingered, haunting the back of his mouth. He coughed and sputtered, whining.

"I wish I had water!" he said and a glass appeared in his hand. His faeries slapped palms to their foreheads, including Poof.

"Weren't you going to wish for something for Crocker?" Wanda reprimanded.

"Yeah, but this thing tastes awful!" he complained.

"That doesn't count as a rule free wish, fortunately," she said and rolled her eyes at him.

"You can wish for anything you want," Cosmo said. "But you just can't wish for a better tasting muffin."

Timmy swallowed the water but the aftereffect remained. Pulling a face, he took another bite and caught himself before he wished for something else to wash it down. The Fairyversary Muffin should be used for rule free wishes. So he should wish for something he couldn't get normally. He looked at Cosmo and Wanda and thought about how happy Crocker had been with them. His throat constricted, not due to the muffin sticking in it.

"I wish, for one day, Crocker had you guys again and you gave him whatever he wanted," Timmy said. "Except for revealing you to the world."

"Sport, are you sure that's such a good idea?" Wanda said.

"Too late," Timmy said. He pointed at the whirlwind appearing where his ceiling had been. It swept Cosmo and Wanda up within it and left Poof, who whimpered and stared after his parents with wide eyes. The ceiling reappeared and Timmy hugged Poof tightly.

"C'mon, Poof," he said. "I owe you one for helping save the world. Why don't we see what lame kiddy thing is going on in town?"

"Mama? Dada?" Poof said, looking at the ceiling and producing Cosmo and Wanda dolls he shook. Timmy stroked Poof's single hair.

"They'll be okay," Timmy said. "What could happen in a day?"

* * *

"I'm not so sure about this," Cosmo whispered to Wanda. They were in Crocker's bedroom waiting for the teacher to return. At the moment, he was having breakfast with his mother. They were disguised as parrots, which felt familiar and comforting for some reason.

"It's what Timmy wished," Wanda reminded him.

"But what if he seizes us and tries to take over the world?" Cosmo replied.

"I don't think he will…" she said. Crocker flung open the door and ended their conversation. His eyes were narrowed and he looked upset. Shuffling around the room, he went through his closet and Cosmo and Wanda exchanged a look.

"Nothing I ever wish for becomes a reality," Crocker said. "Nothing I ever want comes true. My mother didn't love me until she was stuck with me, and now I'm stuck here, because no one believes me. I'd love to just have one day with faeries…just to prove I'm not crazy."

"You're in luck!" Cosmo said and he and Wanda transformed into their normal selves. "I'm Cosmo!"

"And I'm Wanda!" Wanda said, producing the spotlights. "And we're-"

"Your temporary one day only fairy godparents that you can't tell anyone about so don't even try!" they said in unison.

"Wow," Crocker said. "I'm amazed you fit all that on a marquee."

"It wasn't easy," Cosmo said.

"What do you want to do first?" Wanda said. She produced Da Rules. "Bearing in mind you can't use our power to take over the world, tell anyone about us, hurt anyone, or make anyone fall in love with you."

"Why are you really here?" Crocker said and narrowed his eyes. "No one ever gives me anything."

"We were wished here," Wanda said simply.

"And time's a wasting!" Cosmo said. "You've got…" He consulted his watch. "Twenty three hours and forty five minutes left of magic before we have to go away forever and you forget the whole thing!"

"Can I humiliate people with your magic?" Crocker said and Cosmo and Wanda exchanged an uneasy look.

"Yes…" Wanda said hesitantly. "But wouldn't you rather do something fun?"

"Like wish for a roller coaster? Or to have the best day ever? Or have everyone tell you how great you are? Or that you're not crazy?" Cosmo suggested.

"Or I could humiliate Turner…" Crocker said.

"No!" Cosmo and Wanda said in unison. "Uh…"

"Do you two know Turner?" Crocker said.

"Small, brown hair, buck teeth?" Wanda said.

"Pink clothing, people think he's crazy?" Cosmo said.

"Never heard of him," they chorused.

Crocker paced back and forth. "You don't want me to humiliate Turner. I can't rule the world, and I'm assuming politics are out. What else could I possibly wish for?"

Cosmo produced a list and handed it to him. Crocker scanned it and Cosmo and Wanda stared at each other. They were really hoping he didn't decide to force them to embarrass Timmy anyway. It wasn't against Da Rules to do it while they were on loan, and it'd be a pretty poor way to pay him back for being so generous. They wouldn't be happy about doing it, either.

"Hmm…" Crocker said. "What if I wished for a new car and lots of money?"

"Yes on the car, no on the money," Wanda said. "That would be counterfeiting, which is against Da Rules."

"But you can wish for a ton of stuff _without _paying for it!" Cosmo said. "Aren't loopholes great?"

"Would it be gone tomorrow?" Crocker said.

"Unfortunately, yes," Wanda said.

"But tomorrow's a day away!" Cosmo said. He grinned. "You know you're itching to do some wishing."

"You two seem familiar, somehow," Crocker said. He studied them. "Like I've met you before."

"Nope!" they chorused. "Never happened."

"My parrots…and Turner…" Crocker frowned. "Are you sure you don't know him?"

"Nope!" they chorused again. Anxiety tightened in Wanda's chest. The faster the topic got off Timmy, the better she'd feel. Crocker studied the list again, looked at them, and then looked at the pictures from the time capsule. A lost, hurt expression entered his eyes and she had a flash of memory.

"_Mother's never around. Sometimes, it feels like you're the only ones who really care about me_."

Wanda blinked and Cosmo stared at her.

((Nothing,)) she sent.

"How about wishing for something you never had as a child?" Wanda suggested brightly. "Or to be a kid again for one day? You could just enjoy yourself and not have to worry about anything."

"I could…" Crocker said. "I don't know…"

"Do you really wanna spend your day with us being bitter and depressed?" Cosmo said. He and Wanda posed, beaming at him. They blazed light and goodness and hoped Crocker got the hint. Batting their eyelashes, they held hands and he frowned, staring at them.

"I'm not sure…" he said. He stared out the window. "The last time I was really happy was when I had D.J., this random faerie baby."

Cosmo and Wanda winced.

"I don't remember being happy as a child," he said. "Or being happy, period. I don't even know if I know how to be."

"Everyone knows how to be happy!" Cosmo said. "You just have to try!"

"We can help!" Wanda said.

"You'll have to give me a moment to think about this," he said.

"Take all the time you need," she said.

"We're not going anywhere for a while," her husband added. Crocker frowned, moving away from them, and she sighed. Timmy had meant well, she knew he did, and it was so seldom he wished for anyone else. What were they supposed to do for him?

"Can't wish for everyone to know about faeries," Crocker said and spazzed, smacking himself in the head. He looked at them. "I can't think of anything."

Wanda snatched Cosmo's list from Crocker's outstretched hand. Aside from a few activities that were illegal, and a couple that would probably kill him, it actually looked pretty good. It resembled the last hundred or so wishes Timmy had had. With a few modifications, they could work off this.

"Why don't you leave it to us?" she suggested.

* * *

"Well, Poof, I almost died of sheer boredom," Timmy said. "But I hope you had a good time."

Poof was lost among the toy bundles and props from the show. Dimmsdale had its version of a certain purple dinosaur and Timmy had nearly given himself a concussion trying to avoid listening. Poof, however, was beside himself with joy and after what he'd done, he deserved a treat. He wished Poof would hurry up and get older so these stupid kiddy things would go away.

"Poof, poof!"his brother asserted.

"You don't know what happened, do you?" Timmy said. "Before time went all weird?"

Poof stared at him blankly and Timmy rolled his eyes. "That's what I get for asking a baby."

They walked past a family with a son about his age with thick black glasses and two pink and green balloons. Not giving them a second glance, Timmy cradled his brother and his stomach grumbled. It was time for lunch.

"We are _not _eating baby food," he told him. "And if you turn yourself into a pizza again, someone really will eat you."

Poof pouted.

"I hope Cosmo and Wanda are enjoying themselves," he said. At their names, Poof wilted in his arms and Timmy tossed him up into the air, which was difficult because his arms were encumbered with toys.

"They'll be back before you know it," he said. He looked back once more at the Dimmadome and thought, _Good riddance_. He never noticed how the pink and green balloons had faces.

* * *

((I feel kinda bad for Crocker,)) she sent. ((He won't remember any of this and it'll be like it never happened.))

((Yeah, but all the kids are like that,)) Cosmo said. ((Timmy won't remember us either.))

She was silent and he nudged her.

((Wanda?)) he said. ((You're not going into your head and leaving me out again, are you?))

((I get the feeling we forgot something. Something big.))

((But how could we? Everything's all neatly wrapped up and look, even Crocker's happy. For now.))

((After Timmy, we're going to have to quit godparenting, you know. We'll have Poof and Aurora to worry about.))

((But as long as we're together, what could possibly go wrong?)) he said and kissed her, even though they were both rubber and she tasted latex. ((I love you, my balloon wife.))

((I love you too.))

A child again and surrounded by his parents, including his missing father, Crocker looked up at Cosmo and Wanda. He smiled and it was the first genuine smile they'd seen.

"I know you said you don't know Turner, but…" Crocker looked at his parents, who had regressed back to the ages they'd been when he was a child, "tell him thanks."

"We're not saying we do, but…" Wanda smiled. "You're welcome."


End file.
